473-5
by LemonDrops334
Summary: 473-5 is one of many dragons within the Base. When Choosing Day arrives, instead of being called to other things to serve wealthy dragons, she was chosen to become something a lot darker.
1. A Rapid Change

**New story, trial, another maybe. I don't wanna type 473-5, so she sometimes will just be called 47.**

473-5 woke to the fire globe entering her cell, and she quickly scrambled up from her stone slate and followed the orb towards the Training Area.

Along the way, she saw other dragons walking down the halls, following their globes as well. -1s were in high demand, their thick scales and protective nature made them optional.

There weren't many -7s, they were very likely to escape into the night. As 47 reached the Training Area, she saw many -2s and -3s training to be guards.

She made her way over to the line of colorful -5s that looked like her.

Monsoon stood in front of them, his scales a tranquil black with tinges of red and blue.

"Today is choosing day for you all. We have watched you in your General Training and have proven some of you useful and others unusful. Today will change your destiny forever. And for a treat, I will tell you my old numbers." he looked each of them straight in the eye before grabbing his papers.

47 sighed, She wasn't really good at any of the tasks, so she would probably be called unusable and thrown away.

"470-5, Usable, Ornament. 471-5, Unusable. Leave." Both -5s scrambled to their areas, one followed by black clothed dragons and the other to the Sunspots, "472-5, Usable, Guide." When reading the next number, he stopped in front of 47.

"473-5. In Question, Report to office." he looked at her and smirked, "You're special, aren't you? Well, go on. Leave!" Monsoon barked into her ears.

She quickly scampered off to the large black building of the office. A very large -2 stood in front of the door, and at the sight of 473-5, she raised her scorpion tail, "What is your business here, -5?" he bellowed, standing in her way.

Monsoon showed up behind her, "Authorized." he showed the -2 his papers and the guard grunted.

He slowly stepped aside to allow 47 passage.

She slowly looked around before a battle-scarred -5 approached her, "Finally. While you are here, you are no longer a -5, you are what the outside world calls a Rainwing. Your name is Azalea. Learn it. We will call you that for the rest of your time." he turned around, "Call me Blowdart."

 **I made it short. Deal with it.**


	2. Development

**I'm back! I noticed you guys liked it!**

Azalea stared at Blowdart, "Rainwing? What does that mean?"

Blowdart chuckled, "I see you are surprised. Come with me Azalea."

He walked down a hallway off to the side. She followed him, confused.

The walls were cracked and faded, and the floor was dry, tan tile. She looks back at the walls, amazed to find them black and streamlined, the floor under her talons feeling softer, quieting her talonsteps.

"The Training Hall." Blowdart motioned to the huge room the hall led to. Few dragons were seen, most too busy to see her enter.

She gaped at the activities around the room. Tall walls had ropes, fake crags, and caves dotted over the otherwise smooth surface.

She watched as a -1 grappled with a -7, scratching without really doing any damage.

"What is this place?" Azalea looked over at Blowdart, who was shouting to a -1.

He chuckled again facing her, "This is the Training Area, as I said before. Debris will help you around."

A broad -1 smiled at her, dark brown scales hinted by light amber that twinkled in the dim light, "I am Debris. Follow me." she nodded to Blowdart, who quickly went to help a group of -3s with climbing.

"So, I'm guessing you think I'm a -1." It was more of a statement then a question.

"Yes. I'm a Raywing, right?" Azalea curled her tail closer.

" _Rain_ wing. I'm a Mudwing. Looks like you need a tutor. Great! I was actually looking for a student. They are hard to come by, as not many dragons aren't asked to come here." She walked down a corridor, many doored-off caves on both sides.

"Where are we going?" Azalea looked around at the doors, trying to memorize the numbers.

"My dorm. You are gonna be my roomie. Lucky for you the number is 473-5. Pretty close to your number, right?"

Azalea stopped, _473-5._ The exact number. "Y-Yes. Exactly."

Debris looked at her, "I'm sorry. This must be a really hard change, and now a random dragon is being friendlier than any dragon has been to you for 5 years. I really should give you some space."

Azalea looked up at the -1, "No, I appreciate the...friendlierness you have shown me. It's strange that I have never heard a word like that."

Debris patted her shoulder in a friendly way, "Well, you'll learn. That's what I'm here for."

She opened the door and inside was a surprisingly spacious room. Inside say 2 things filled with soft-looking material. A wooden box open to the side was filled with papers like the ones her teachers used to hold.

Debris walked into the room, laying on the soft fabric, before quickly explaining, "These are called beds, and that's a shelf with scrolls. You sleep on these, and you read those. Lets start with this one." she grabbed a 'scroll' from the 'shelf' and sat on the 'bed'.

Azalea touched the soft covering and poked a claw through it.

"No. Don't poke holes in the bedding! It'll ruin it." Debris looked at Azalea.

Azalea stopped and looked down, "I'm sorry." she reached her talons out, expecting the stinging pain of the whip being slapped on her arms.

Debris began laughing, "You don't get beaten! Just don't do that next time. Lets start with practical knowledge"

LINE

"-And that's what a -7 Is called." Debris finished after an hour of explaining dragon tribes and colors of the rainbow.

Azalea looked around, the world seeming much bigger and much more confusing.

A gong sounded in the distance, and Debris sat up, "Training time for Sector 5. Come on."

Azalea followed her tutor as they flew down the dormitory hallway. It spilled out to the large Training Center. Blowdart was standing in front of a row of other dragons.

Debris quickly stood next to a...Icewing and Azalea hurried next to her.

Blowdart looked up and down the line, taking in each face. "Well, today is both solemn and joyous. Two of Sector 3's agents were killed, one by themself, and the other from getting between a skirmish on the Skywing's newest territory. Sector 3 had been told that none of their trainees will be sent out for quite a while, and they chose Sector 5 to choose new Assassins. Now before you all scramble to be chosen, I have already have chosen 2 of you."

Debris looked at Azalea with an excited expression. Azalea returned the look with a smile. An Icewing stepped forward, facing Blowdart, "Blowdart, I would like to plead for a spot, sir. I have been in training for 5 years, and one from the Sector 3 was related to me-"

Blowdart raised his talon, "Blast, I know you want to get out of here, and I had to choose between many of you, and what a hard choice it was for me." He sighed, then approached a Nightwing, "Cosmos, you have been chosen. You have been in training for over 3 years." The black-purple dragon seemed to brighten in a moment, and to keep the mood, he had to conceal a smile of joy.

"The next dragon has been here the longest. Blast, you have also been called. Might I remind you not to use revenge as your inspiration. Well, at least not _all_ of your inspiration." Blowdart smiled at Blast, whose smile was not as easily hidden.

They both stepped out of line and bowed to their leader. Both took off and flew to-well, Azalea didn't know where.

Blowdart nodded to the line, and left, his talons clicking on the hard floor.

The line dispersed, and Debris looked over at Azalea, "Wouldn't it be great to be chosen?"

"I guess..." Azalea said with uncertainty.

Debris barked a laugh and turned towards a agility course covered with branches, "Let's start with this. It should be easy for a Rainwing like you. You also probably practiced it in Base Training."

Azalea smiled and followed her newfound friend.

 **That took _waay_ longer than I thought. I'm sorry about the holdup on The Stone One, I have most of it written out, I just have to type it. See ya next time!!!**


	3. Ranked Up

**Back again!!**

Azalea sat on her bed, reading a scroll by a dim fireglobe. Debris slept on her bed, snoring lightly.

The words barely made any sense, she never _was_ really gifted in reading. She knew some dragons were chosen to be scribes or readers for other dragons.

The day behind her was exciting and terrifying, each new thing seeming to jump out at her. The Training Hall was absolutely beautiful, and she still felt sore in her wings because of the workout.

LINE

"Wait up!" Azalea shouted to the Mudwing, who was far ahead of her.

The days had flown by, and Azalea found herself faster and more refreshed than ever before.

Her legs and wings were strong, her mind clear.

She came to a stop beside Debris. They had reached the end of the course, and both were breathing heavily.

"We beat our score again!" Debris looked up at the small, rectangular screen that dispayed their times.

Azalea smiled at her, "Let's get a drink, I heard they installed a new pond."

 _A few weeks later..._

Azalea sat on her bed, smiling up at the ceiling. The two dragons had become partners, Azalea being the fast and quick with Debris being the planner.

The horn sounded, and Azalea found her talons taking her into the line without thinking.

Blowdart paced in front of them, waiting for them all to gather. Once they all were in front of him, he spoke, "Well, it seems one of the assassins in Sector 6 has been captured, and we only need the best for the job. Any voluteers?"

All the gathered dragon shot their arms in the air, Azalea among them. Blowdart chuckled, then began, "I knew it. Well, I have chosen the newest recruit." He looked straight at Azalea, who felt her scales become yellow and pink with excitement. "Azalea, would you and Debris take this mission?"

Azalea squashed her hyper emotions and her scales turned a dutiful red and blue, "Yes sir."

"Alright then, I will see you two in my office. Move out!" Blowdart nodded to them and flicked his wings back.

Debris took off first, leading them to a large grey building. They ducked through the closable opening, which brought them into a spacious office.

Azalea couldn't control her scales any longer. She let the yellow leak along her back and wings, turning her face and talons a darker pink. Orange seeped along her tail, growing darker along her delicate spiral tail.

Blowdart cleared his throat at the doorway, grabbing the dragons' attention.

Azalea changed her colors back to red and blue, hoping he didn't notice.

He walked over to a small green chair, sighing as he sat down, "I don't want to send you out unless you are ready Azalea. You have only been here for weeks, while others have been here for a little over three years. Give me one good reason to send you."

Azlaea's scales turned brighter reds and darker blues, "I have trained harder than anyone, and besides, I will have Debris, who has been here for three years. I can disappear into shadows better than any Nightwing."

Blowdart chuckled, as he usually did, and responded smiling, "I thought so. You will be coming to my office whenever it is time to train. You have never been in the world, and it's time to learn. You are dismissed."

Debris smiled and nodded, and they both left.

Every day, Azalea and Debris learned about the outside world, what to eat, and how to speak to outside dragons.

A few days before Release, he brought them in for a "special lesson".

When they landed in front of the building, Blowdart was on top, and he flew down to meet them, "Come with me."

They followed him, confused. He was gliding carefully above the many training areas. They flew onto a large metal platform, and on the wall was a huge locked door.

Blowdart hastily stuck a large key into the lock, and soon the large door rolled away to reveal a jungle, covered in vines with sounds of birds and monkeys.

"What is this place?" Azalea looked around.

"This is the world. I am releasing you. Your target is this Sandwing. Good luck." Blowdart have them a picture and left, the lock gently clicking on the other side.

Azalea looked at Debris, who looked as though she could jump out of her scales in excitement and shock. _He...just left us here...after..._

She sighed, feeling her scales turn dark, navy blue from sadness. She wasn't ready, she was going to _die_ out here.

Debris put a wing around her friend's shoulder, "Come on, we are gonna be fine. Go hunting, but come back soon."

Azalea looked at her friend, "You're right. I will be right back.

Line

After she returned, they ate a hasty meal, burying everything and covering the spot with leaves. Azalea sailed through the trees, her scales almost invisible. Debris ran on the ground above her, moss covering most of her scales.

They came onto a clearing, where three Sandwings sat by a fire, mumbling to each other. Azalea quickly identified the subject. She pointed it out to Debris, who nodded and slowly crept to the other side of the clearing. Snapping a twig on purpose, one of the Sandwings, not the victim, rose and called out.

The other, also not the victim, rose to check it out. Azalea leapt soundlessly onto the dirt, her only noticeable thing was her tracks. But all Sandwings were listening intently for signs of movement.

She crept towards her target, claws sharp and venom ready. She grabbed the target by the throat, smothering any attempted noise. Azalea dragged him to the trees, then quietly sliced his throat, but instead of blood, sparks and oil leaked from the wound.

This was no dragon.

 **Okay, it's a pretty terrible chapter. I wasn't really feeling it, but I wanted to write. Tell me if it's rushed or if I can continue please!**


	4. Queens of the Sun Side

**I think I need to talk about the Queens and stuff. Don't worry Venomheart, it won't be a list. History time! These will be short stories.**

 _In a peaceful Pyrrhia, trouble arose._

 _The new Queen of the Sandwings, Queen Sphinx, wanted to demonstrate her power by breaking tensions with the Icewings over the newest border city,_ _Placidity._

 _The Queens United, a new system set up for peace, was dumbfounded when Sphinx did not show up for the first moon meeting. Queen Curium, the Icewing Queen, was outraged and blamed it on cowardice and asked for alliances._

 _Queen Iridescence rallied her Rainwings in favor of Queen Sphinx, sensing a misunderstanding and trying to get Queen Curium to back down._

 _Queen Gyrfalcon joined Iridescence, the Queens were friends at JMA. Queen Valiant also sided with Gyrfalcon, hearing Iridescence's ideals._

 _The Mudwing Queen, Queen Alligator, seeing her own ambition, sided with Curium. Queen Seahorse was split by the issue, and did not join the war._

 _It seemed that only destruction lay ahead for the Icewings and Mudwings. Three against one, the outlook seemed bleak._

 _A new achademy arose, and many dragons purchased other dragons that are trained to be specialized servants. Here begins the short stories of the tribes at war._

 _Skywings:_

"Queen Gyrfalcon, your daughter is here to see you." an orange Skywing page announced in a timid voice.

She sighed, "Bring her in."

The large doors parted to reveal a red dragon the color of rust. Her unusual green eyes darted around, before landing on her mother.

"Flurry, what do you need? I am still planning my batallions." Queen Gyrfalcon slightly narrowed her eyes.

"Well, um... I kinda want to be in the army, so could I do that?" Flurry wrung her tail through her talons.

Queen Gyrfalcon sighed, and pulled out a scroll, "That takes a lot of work, so I will give you a trial run. A battalion is going to fly over to the Rainforest in a couple of days. You will be with the battalion and go to the Rainforest."

Flurry's eyes lit up, "Thanks mom! Bye!" she jumped away.

Gyrfalcon looked over her scroll at her galloping daughter's fleeing shape, "Dragonets" she murmered to herself with a knowing smile and returned to her work.

 _Sandwings:_

Queen Sphinx sighed, running down the hallways, a stream of dragons following her.

"Queen Sphinx! We need your approval for-" one of them shouted before Sphinx cut them off.

"Leave me be please! I-I need to go off for a fly. Alone!" she yelled over all their incessant yips.

She took off into the desert heat, feeling it waft up to her scales. Sphinx sighed, then dove into a sand dune.

In the sand, she found the lever and pulled it. She was transported to a beautiful room with a garden, small prey center, and other things.

It was her panic room, and there were many kalators to tend to the many activities.

A bright Rainwing rushed up to her and bowed deeply, "My dearest Queen and dominus. Everything is better than you left it. Would you like to start out with a massage?"

Sphinx sighed contentedly, "That sounds wonderful Cerulean. Thank you."

The Rainwing bowed again and took Sphinx over to the table.

"I am glad I found this room from my mother. What was your old number dear?" Sphinx looked over at the masseuse, a white female Icewing.

"374-6," the Icewing answered.

Sphinx looked around the beautiful room, "Where is the Nightwing?"

"315-7 is out at the moment, finding your favorite lizards your greatness." Cerulean said in a calm voice.

"Let's hope he is back soon." Sphinx said as she drifted off.

 _Rainwings:_

Queen Iridescence strod out of her pavillion, taking in the smell of the snapdragons that twisted around the outside.

She didn't ask for this war, in fact, quite the opposite. Iridescence just wanted Curium to back down, but if Alligator didn't follow the plan, Curium would become resentful.

A Ranwing soldier appeared beside her, his scales flicking from yellow to a stern grey.

"My Queen, we will have Skywing reinforcements coming three days from now to help with the skirmishes in the south." the soldier stated with a deep voice.

"Dart, do we really have to fight this war?" she looked over at her second-in-command.

"Yes, my Queen. Queen Curium has been acting strange, and we must be on the ready."

Iridescence rubbed her temples, "Could you schedule a meeting with ny allies?"

"Of course. I will send a message out myself." He nodded and disappeared into the canopy.

Iridescence flew off to the main village, wanting to meet with the dragons. Even though being a Queen meant being busy, she still made time to meet with current, coming, and past dragons in Rainforest.

Unlike most Queens, she had no kalators, honestly, slavery was woven into the Rainwing history like thread in a carpet and she didn't want to bring any more in.

 _Nightwings:_

Queen Valiant looked upon her beautiful peninsula, the new home suited the Nightwings perfectly.

The silver scales behind her eyes glinted in the moonlight as she looked upon her kingdom.

Her eyes scanned the land, taking in every spire, canyon, and light that twinkled in the many abodes of the Nightwings.

Her sleep schedule had been thrown off because of the war, making her tired and groggy.

Valiant took a glance at the wall off to the end of the far-stretching kingdom to see a small shape winging towards her.

She shook the sleepiness off and squared her shoulders as the Rainwing landed.

 **If you didn't guess, this is all the sides of Sphinx, and next chapter will be Curium, Alligator, and Seahorse.** **Also, kalators is latin for servant and slave. And, dominus is head of household and slaveowner. This is what lies ahead for all the numbered dragons out in the Achademy.** **I know I said I wouldn't publish, but I had already finished this as I was looking over my documents, and decided to publish it. Now I will begin my Art Hiatus. (shoutout** **to MysticPhoenix for the word!)**


	5. Release

**Sorry guys! I keep forgetting to put ACTUAL lines, I just put the word. Sorry!**

The jungle filled with light, blinding Azalea. _What?_ she was so confused. Last time she checked, dragons didn't bleed black stuff.

Blowdart's voice sounded over the jungle, "Well done you two! Please follow the door on your left. The robots will be cleaned up, don't worry."

Azalea blinked, her eyes finally adjusting to the light. Debris looked at her, confused. As she looked down at the other two Sandwings, they collapsed.

 _Robots?_ She followed the instruction and both of the assassins left the room. Blowdart stood in front of them, smiling, "That was a simulation, and you passed the test! A few more lessons on good gathering a silent communication and you are ready to be released!"

Debris was the first to react, "What in the death of queens are you talking about? Why would you put is through something like that?" she was on the verge of growling.

Blowdart chuckled a deeper, rumbly laugh, "Well it _was_ a _test,_ they tend to be hard, and seemingly ridiculous."

Debris looked cross, but Azalea was still caught up on the robots.

He soon dismissed them for the rest of the day. Debris collapsed on the bed in a huff, "I can't believe him!"

Azalea looked at her talons, the same talons that would've cut a Sandwing throat without a second thought.

She clenched them and looked up at Debris, "What about we work on our silent signals so we get released?"

Debris huffed as she got up to grab the scroll of signals.

Even after the lesson, Debris was still in a bad mood, and it took her the entire day of training to crack a smile.

As they headed toward their bunk for the night, Debris was still grumbling.

That morning, Blowdart called them into his office. He smiled at them and handed them a stack of scrolls.

"This is your test. Well, your paper test. After this, we will have an exercise. If you do satisfactory on both, you will be released tomorrow." Blowdart stated.

Debris picked up her stack curiously.

The test was rather easy, just asking stuff she already knew. It went by quickly, and they both passed.

He led them to a quiet, secluded area with a hard marble floor and strange tree-like marble statues.

Blowdart sat down on the ground, and beckoned them closer, "This is a Training Area, and you must sneak up on me. There are patches of rough, loud ground. This is a challenge."

Debris and Azalea looked at each other before stalking off to opposite sides.

She crawled along the ground, not using her claws when she hit a dry spot.

Blowdart came out of nowhere and pinned her, "Too slow. Watch the ground."

The rest of the training was frustrating, mostly because it was all about Blowdart yelling, "Wrong! Wrong!"

Debris and Azalea were tired, sweaty, and on the brink of collapse, "You are done for the day."

They crawled back to the mess hall and drank the whole trough of water, earning them a very angry look from the small Seawing to fill it.

 _That next morning..._

The bugle sounded for all of them to gather.

Debris growled and heaved onto her feet. Azalea followed her anxiously, not used to such anger.

All the dragons were lined up, and Blowdart in front of them.

"Alright, everyone! It's time to give our next two representatives off to the world. Reason we didn't do this for the other two is because this is our youngest one to send." he flicked his tail over at Azalea.

Azalea nerviously looked around at the staring dragons.

Debris nudged her with a wing.

Blowdart led them forward and led them into a small room with another large door.

"You better not be sending us to another trick." Debris growled.

"This is the door to the release room. Remember who the Queens are, how to act around other dragons, and all that jazz. There is no going back after this." he looked back at them with a serious look.

 _Well, with the fact of our lives becoming the total underworld if we stay here, never seeing the sun or looking at real leaves, there really isn't a choice._ Azalea thought sarcastically.

They continued to follow him, and he walked up to a larger door, fitting his claw into it and slowly opening it.

Sunlight peeked through the crack, and when it touched Azalea, she soaked it up, feeling more powerful.

"Here we go. The outside world. Do you know what's going on out there?" Blowdart looked wistfully out before turning towards them.

"War," Azalea and Debris said in unison.

"What side are the Rainwings on?" he asked.

"Queen Sphinx." they recited.

"Well, is there anyone not in the war?"

"Seawings" they said confidently.

Blowdart held out two small black rectangles, "These are your message boxes. When you finish a mission, you will use these for a new one." he help out a small pouch, "This goes near your throat. It senses when you are truly captured, and will kill you."

Azalea was taken aback, _Are you kidding me?_ _It's gonna_ kill _me?_

Blowdart chuckled, "That means don't get captured. Put these in."

He handed them the devices, and without arguing, equipped them.

Debris and Azalea now had the small rectangles hidden in their scales, both below their ears.

Blowdart sighed, "Don't cost us more agent casualties please."

"We won't," Debris nodded.

"Your first mission is to get into the Ice Kingdom as kalators for a fellow named Icestorm. You are to kill him by poisioning or natural disaster. Your numbers are your old ones. Act like slaves, because that is what you are. Leave as soon as possible and conceal yourselves in the Rainforest for your next mission."

Debris looked at her determinedly, Azalea was nervous, but ready.

Blowdart clapped on number tags and chains on their wrists and throats, and led them to another room where a large Sandwing was waiting.

"Are you sure these kalators will do?" The male Sandwing inspected them with an obsidian glare.

"Yes. One for decor, the other for muscle." Blowdart gave them a fleeting glance.

"Of course. Move out." He growled at them, picking up their leading chain.

They marched out of a grey door, and then the sunlight blinded Azalea.

 **I am working on Queen Alligator's, Seahorse's, and Curium's POV, this was ready first.**


	6. The Deep Team(and middle dragon)

**This is Queen Seahorse, Queen Curium, and Queen Alligator's sides.**

 _Icewings:_

Queen Curium growled. She wished Icestorm could travel _faster_ and help her with these arrangements.

But _no,_ he _had_ to wait for two more kalators to help him. Why couldn't he have just ordered them _here?_

 _Speaking of Darkstalker..._ **(This is a figure of speech, like "speak of the devil")** Curium mused to herself as a kalator entered to her left.

He bowed deeply, "My dominus and Queen, I ask your preference of dinner."

"Ah. 263-4. I would like tuna-roasted seal-filled Polar Bear with a side of Arctic Fox." she rattled off.

"Of course, my dominus." The Seawing bowed away, his number tag scraping on the ice.

Maybe everything would feel better after a meal.

Another dragon, not a kalator, came to her.

"My Queen, your daughter, Thallium, is here to see you." the Icewing bowed.

The doors opened to reveal a small, pale white Icewing that was decorated with many diamonds.

 _How gaudy._ Curium rolled her eyes. She didn't quite approve of the gems, but allowed them barely.

She stepped forward, her head seeming to twinkle and send off light across the room.

"Thallium, what do you need?" Curium looked up at the heir.

"I need more diamonds. But, this time, I need diamond weapons." Her daughter raised her head, the polished scales gleaming.

"Whatever would you need diamond weapons for?" Curium lifted an eyebrow **(do dragons have eyebrows?)**.

"I want them." Thallium glared at her mother.

"That doesn't answer the question. Stop acting like a Seventh Circle dragonet and use your words!" Curium gave a queenly glare.

Thallium threw up her talons, growling, and left.

The guards closed the door behind her, and looked at each other, having a matching look of awkwardness.

 _Dragonets..._ Curium growled under her breath. The Seawing kalator approached her.

"My dominus and Queen, your dinner is ready." he bowed.

 _Mudwing s:_

Queen Alligator looked around her throne room. There was nothing to do! The Sandwings issued a truce for the moment so they could enjoy the "Moon Festival" or whatever.

She was close to an unsib, only having two of her original troop left. She took in three unsibs, and they fit in swimmingly.

"Your highness, Rocksalt is here." A Mudwing at the door called to her.

 _Great, the worst unsib._ she growled. He came to her with that dumb name, his mother being an idiot and making her nest too close to the Rainwing border, all of them dying except for little Rocksalt, who named himself after finding the rock.

The little maple dragonet wrung his talons as he entered.

"Could y-you come and train with us?" he asked nerviously.

"Of course." she got up, following the small maple dragon.

Outside, she saw her other siblings, and unsibs.

There was Cliff, another strange unsib shrouded in mystery, Meerkat, a very close unsib.

Her sister was very close to Alligator, second-in-command, even. But, in a tragic accident on the Skywing border resulted in the death of all, except poor Meerkat, who was terribly scarred, and was sent to send the subtle message of, _don't come back._

Warthog, her only brother, and Porcupine, her only living sister, were understanding and calm with all the others, taking them in like mud over scales.

"Hey sis, what do you wanna train to do?" Warthog looked over at her, his bright amber eyes shining.

"Let's start with defense."

 _Seawings:_

Queen Seahorse rushed out of the Deep Palace, and swam as fast as she could to the Island Palace.

She _knew_ this would happen, but since the reconstruction of it, she wanted to fix this for as soon as possible.

She had a feeling that tension would start over her decision. But taking a side would mean putting her already weak tribe into a devastating war.

Ever since the Blue Tang Flu, many were dead, and others were disabled.

Blue Tang Flu started because of a fish flu that spread from reef to reef.

Dragons were still arguing if it started with the coral or the fish, but still spread like wildfire.

All reef delicacies were poisoned, from clownfish to moray eels.

Whoever ate the fish was either poisoned or killed, including her husband.

She sighed, trying to shove away the pain of the passing of her mate. He was one of the last to get sick, and one of the last to die.

She ordered all scientists to find the cure, and the cause, but almost all of the scientists died or got sick before they figured out the carrier was a Blue Tang, and no one ingested them for about a month, but the sickness continued.

Finally, one scientist named Rudder, was able to find a cure for the fish, and it was mass produced and spread around every known reef.

The sickness died down, but the casualties were hefty. Over 2,000 Seawings. Dead. Over 500 disabled for life, and unable to have dragonets.

No eggs were laid that middle year, only four dragonets survived the ordeal.

One of those dragonets were her own. Little Seafoam, a beautiful dragonet, a true miracle. The only heir to the throne.

But now, there was a problem at the Island Palace.

That is where still sick dragons were put to not infect the remaining population, but it seemed that some were fed up with the island, and were trying to leave.

That meant trouble. She _could not_ let them escape, even if using her powers to stop them.

She worked _so hard_ to become Queen. She would do everything in her power to keep her loyal subjects alive.

Even if it meant the death of someone important.

 **Hey guys! It was really hard to write this, I just wanted to get back to Azalea and Debris. Also, the Poll on my forum is still up, and the votes recently have wanted 473-5, so this will continue!**


	7. The Mission

**This story is getting GOOD!** **Btw, rota means car or chariot.**

They were outside for only a few seconds, just to get into the rota that would take them to their dominus.

That word sent chills along Azalea's spine. _I belong to NOBODY. I AM NOT a graveling kalator._ The sunlight though, oh, it felt so _good_ on her scales. She knew it was bright, but didn't know about the warmth.

It clothed her like the softest blanket, filling her wings with bright power. But now, she was stuffed in a miserably dark moving unit, it smelled of rotting meat and metal. They were the only two in there.

They were connected by a tough-looking chain that ran onto the floor, and at every movement, there was the clinking of it.

She looked at the number tag that jingled around her wrist. _473-5. Decoration._

Azalea looked over at Debris, who was also fiddling with her tag. _265-1 Muscle._

The rota stopped, and they were greeted by a Skywing, and the Sandwing from before.

They grabbed the chains without a word, yanking them out of the moist, stuffy rota.

They were in an Ice Castle of some sort, probably the home of their new dominus.

An Icewing watched them, his cold eyes following their every movement.

Azalea had grown accustomed to not being watched so closely, so naturally this made her very uncomfortable.

"So, here are your new kalators." the Sandwing jerked them forward.

"Number 473-5, decor. Number 265-1, Muscle." he read off, handing the chain to him.

The Icewing, Icestorm, she assumed, reached forward to her tag. Trying not to flinch away, she allowed him to grab her talon, his cold scales making it hard not to shy away, and he touched the tag.

Because of how the kalator tags work, she was now under his ownership. So, if she tried to fly away, it would let him know and she would be stuck in place. No one could free her either.

He did the same for Debris, unhooked them, and told them to follow him.

Azalea walked side-by-side with Debris, her tail flicking nerviously.

He turned to them, "I am going to the Queen's castle. I want you both to come with me. I will call you 47, and you 26. It makes things easier."

Debris took initiative and responded, "Yes, my dominus."

Azalea looked around, wondering where they were.

"Get in. We will take this to the palace. Flying is for Third Circles." he sneered.

It was a beautiful rota, much unlike where the assassins in disguise were transported.

They did so, sitting on the floor. Debris sat near the door, as her muscle purpose inclined.

"47, give me something nice to look at" he snapped.

"Of course, my dominus." she bowed and stood in front of him, changing her scales in a cascade of purples, sherberts, and raspberries. Her wings were splashed in green, her talons blue.

The chariot came to a stop, and Debris opened the door, stiffening as Icestorm passed her.

 _I don't like being an obedient puddle!_ Azalea thought mutinously.

They both followed behind him, head bowed, tails curled.

This felt both familiar and foriegn, frustrating Azalea more than she could bear.

It always brought her back to those days when the only name she knew was 473-5, and whenever she was wrong, a whip was slapped across her talons.

The grueling lessons were terrible, now that she thought back to them. Lessons on how to smile, speak, move, deal with the tag, IT WAS SO BORING!

She didn't like it back then, but never really knew any other emotion, so she thought it was normal.

Azalea didn't really think about her old life, but living it seemed to bring it back all the memories.

She was nudged by Debris, as they had come to a stop and she was still walking.

Quickly regaining her demeanor, she stood beside her partner.

"47, turn a impressing color." he snapped at her, not even turning around.

She turned the color of fall leaves, reds and oranges chasing brown and yellow.

"26, look tough. This is the first time you will be seen, so you need to stand out." Icestorm said authoritivly.

 _That's exactly what we_ don't _want._ Azalea growled internally.

Soon, it would be time for him to go into his room, where they would be able to kill him.

Azalea already thought it out, he would drink too much and need to go to his room to pass out. This is when they would either smother him, or offer a poisoned drink, making him look like he poisoned himself or died in his sleep.

Azalea flicked her tail and moved her ears back and forth, sending the message to Debris.

Debris agreed, touching her talons to her ear.

He threw open the doors, and they were greeted by a small, sophisticated welcome party.

The Queen, Azalea assumed, was in the middle of the mix, waving off kalators and eating small walrus rolls.

The party was boring, basically Icestorm drinking some sort of drink with a small bit of potusberries that made a dragon loopy in high amounts.

She was admired by many of the nobles, and congratulated Icestorm on her colors.

Finally, after a terrible party, Icestorm was hiccuping and could barely hlld his talons still.

He excused himself and left to stumble towards the visitor's suite.

Debris signaled to Azalea, _How will we get away?_

 _We don't. He will be poisoned and you will alert the other nobles, making it look like a freak accident._ she signaled back, making her neck and wings hurt from flicking and twirling.

He stumbled across the hallways, singing random notes and babbling about Scavengers and sickness.

After what felt like a lifetime, he found the suite, and the assassins followed him, closing and locking the door behind him.

 _Time to finish the mission._

 **Whew! This was really easy to write, unlike last chapter.** **Potusberries are a new berry used in punch, potus means intoxicated.**


	8. Second Mission

**The poll results, well, many differed, but all of them had this one, and two had Fire and Ice. So for now** , **I will be doing Fire and Ice and 473-5.**

Azalea turned to Debris after locking the door.

It was time to finish the job. Icestorm collapsed on the polar bear bed, gurgling.

Debris and Azalea walked outside the room, and Debris took a stance taught for muscle.

Azalea found her way back to the banquet, where she picked up some of the potusberry punch, and on the way added some extra potusberry mixed with funis holus, a deadly herb.

She came to the door and walked inside. Icestorm was sitting on the bed, his eyes bloodshot.

"My dominus, here is the drink you ordered." she bowed, hoping he wouldn't question.

"Thank you, 16." he looked loopy, and also got her number wrong.

He drank it, and Azalea waited for the poison to take effect.

Icestorm choked, falling to the floor. Azalea shreiked and ran to Debris, "265-1! Alert! Alert!" she shouted.

Debris stood up and rushed over to Icestorm.

"Madulsa Death! Madulsa Death!" Debris yelled, picking up Icestorm's now limp body.

Azalea knocked the glass with her tail, any remaining punch soaked into the polar bear rug.

An Icewing rushed into the room, coming over to Debris and picking up Icestorm's body.

"What happened?" she turned to Azalea.

She stated in the firm tone of a kalator, "He requested a potusberry drink after coming into the room. He then started sputtering before saying he needed to sleep. His breathing slowed, his tail knocked over the cup, and soon his breathing came to an end. Trying to alert him was futile, so the alarm was sounded."

"Very well, you will be sent back to the Base." she waved her talons, taking Icestorm's body away.They sat in the room for two grueling hours. Finally, the Sandwing from before hitched them to chains and back into the rotus.

Again, the rotting meat and stuffiness made Azalea want to vomit, and finally they were taken back to the Base.

The Sandwing was the only one around, and as he unhitched them, he mumbled, "Ego sum sicarius conservis."

Debris looked at him, "Ita."

"Good work agents, find sufficient cover and get your next mission." he gave them both a significant look before clearing their tags and opening the rotus door.

Azalea blinked as the sunlight landed on her. _The warmth_... she smiled and opened her wings.

Debris nudged her, and she changed the pink and yellow for darker greens and browns.

They ran into the canopy, hiding in a hollow tree.

Debris touched her ear, and Azalea did the same.

"Hello? You two?" a voice sounded in both their ears. Azalea had to force herself not to look around for whoever was talking.

"Yes sir. We are here." Debris murmered.

"Good. Your next mission will be a little tricky. Sneak into the Rainwing village, bringing Debris as a prisoner. You must kill a Rainwing named Tropic. She may be a future dictator to kill the Queen and kill more dragons. Move out." Blowdart's voice faded out.

"Welp. Let's go." Debris clawed at the ground, then buried her tag. Azalea did the same, and followed after her.

Killing Icestorm didn't really affect her, it actually made her want to do it again.

She shook away those thoughts and followed Debris before pulling out a sleeping dart.

"Sorry." she whispered to Debris before knocking her out with the dart.

Dragging her comrade through the dirt was no easy task, she pulled at her brown talons to her tail.

Finally, she reached what should be the villiage. At least, that's what the map told her.

This mission made her nervious. It was like a solo mission, no one to consult, no one to talk to.

A Rainwing materialized in front of her, "What's this?" he tilted his head.

"Mudwing trespasser. I found her near the border." Azalea changed her colirs to a stern red and grey, unable to hide the green in her tail and ear ruff.

"Good, we will get her in." he nodded, then three other Rainwings appeared, carrying a large net.

After Debris' limp body was taken away, the male Rainwing approached her, his scales a darker grey and yellow.

"Hey, what's your name? I haven't seen you around before." His voice was smooth and friendly.

Azalea coiled her tail closer, "I'm Azalea, I'm by the border a lot. I decided to come in and see an old friend, but ran into her on the way." she flicked her tail to Debris.

"Hm. I swear I would remember you. There's not many Rainwings like you." He gave her a sly smile.

 _Three moons, is he flirting with me?!_ She tried not to let the panic show on her scales, "Thanks, well to be fair, I don't remember seeing you either."

He kept the smile, "Who's that old friend, I'll help you find them. My name's Tarsier, by the way."

 _Tarsier, what a nice name..._ She snapped out of that thought, "Tropic, do you happen to know her?"

He looked surprised, "You mean the old sour Rainwing that lives on the edge of the forest? Yeah, everyone knows that rotten mango." he rolled his eyes.

"Great. I'll go see her then." she took a step forward before he put his wing out to block her exit.

"How about we fly there? Together?" he added the last word with a bit of pink on his ruff.

 _Dear. potusberries._ She swore lightly in her mind, "Sure. Lead the way!" she smiled at him.

He uncurled his tail and jumped into the trees. Thank goodness she had trained extra on the obstacle course, or she would be flapping like a baby bird.

She didn't know what to think of this Tarsier. He was friendly, and good-looking as dragons go, but she wasn't too interested. Azalea had a job to do. Tarsier's unwanted romance couldn't get in her way.

 **Hey people! So, I know a LOT of people like this story, and so it will become my main focus. I'm always open for constructive criticism, so let me know!**


	9. Darkness

**Sigh, this is redone previous chapter...**

Azalea flew through the trees, Tarsier leading her forward.

"Where is Tropic's house nowadays?" Azalea pretended to know what she was talking about.

"In a creepy hut made of logs. See?" Tarsier stopped, his wings curved near his head and tail curled neatly around a trunk like a snake.

Azalea spotted the said creepy hut. The logs seemed cut in two, then haphazardly stacked side-by-side, and on top of one another.

Signs were scattered along the area, proclaiming messages in scribbled writing to _Go away!_ , _Bewar_ _e!_ and _Keep off!_ The dragon living inside probably wasn't the nicest of dragons, using context.

"Well, here I go." Azalea started forward.

"I'll be right up here to give you privacy, but scream is something happens." Tarsier yelled as he took off into the canopy.

 _Alright._ Azalea looked around the hut, _How should this go? Maybe collapse? Barge in and break her neck? Make it look like a fight? No, too suspicous._ Millions of different scenarios went through her head before landing on one.

She stared around the door, before finding a loose log that seemed it could bring the building down. _That might be useful_...

She knocked on the door, the creaking that came from it sounded like groans.

The voice that came after wasn't too pleasant either, "Who's there?! Go AWAY!" a creaky but angry voice growled/hissed.

Azalea decided to be innocent, though it didn't really matter.

"I-It's me, Hyacinth, your old friend." Azalea curled her tail into a closer spiral.

"I never knew a Hyacinth. LEAVE!" Tropic's dark crimson snout poked through the door.

"Fine." Azalea growled and pretended to storm off, but stopped at the precarious support log.

With one swift kick, she dislodged the flimsy log, and the entire hut collapsed.

Tropic screeched in surprise as her home came tumbling down on her.

Azalea jumped into the rubble just as a log fell in her position.

She tried to bury herself to look innocent. Then, one of the last remaining planks fell on Azalea's ankle, and the resounding crack seemed deafening.

Azalea winced, if only slightly. It didn't hurt as much than she expected. Looking over at the now still Tropic, she used her talons to check for a pulse.

Satisfied, Azalea kicked more timber onto the dead dragon as Tarsier swooped down.

"Are you alright? What happened!?" Tarsier went to gently lift the log on top of Azalea's broken ankle.

Azalea tried to get up, but when she put weight on her back ankle, she fell.

"I-I knocked on the door, and the entire thing j-just collapsed! I couldn't get to Tropic, and when I tried, I broke my a-ankle!" she sobbed.

"Here, let's get you to the healer," he offered her his shoulder and he looked back at the pile of halved logs that remained, "I kinda knew something like this would happen, I must say I am not surprised."

Azalea leaned onto his shoulder, nodding.

 _A few hours later..._

"Thanks again, Petula!" Tarsier yelled the last parting words to the healer that tended Azalea's ankle.

She could tell that the newer technologies weren't really accepted in the rainforest.

Azalea looked down at her spider silk and banana leaf cast. Very rudimentary, if you asked her.

"Come on, follow me. I have _the beat_ spot during suntime." Tarsier took off, flying above the canopy because of Azalea's ankle.

"Suntime?" she couldn't hold back the question.

Tarsier stopped and howered in front of Azalea, "What do you mean, _suntime?_ Suntime is for every RainWing that knows who they are."

"Oh, well, um, I was raised on the outskirts so I never got suntime really." Azalea tried to keep hwe stuttering to a minimum.

"Oh, right. Well, instead of _telling_ you what suntime is, I can SHOW you!" Tarsier stopped hovering and sped off.

Azalea sped up alongside him just as he landed on a canopy platform. Tarsier then laid out, his wings spread and his tail unfurled.

"Just lay out in the sun, and charge your scales." Tarsier instructed sleepily.

Azalea followed his instruction. The sunspots she experienced at the Base was never as _warm_ and _bright_ than the sun, so that kalators in training wouldn't want to run away.

 _I will only sleep for 15 minutes, then go find Debris_. At the thought of her friend and partner, she felt a pang of guilt.

Debris was probably being sentenced to death or being used to get back RainWing prisoners of war. And here was Azalea, lying in the sun.

However, soon Azalea fell under a deep sleep, dark and inviting. _15 minutes... that's not so bad..._

"Wake up!" Azalea jumped a bit at the sound of Tarsier's voice.

"You've been sleeping for a few hours! C'mon!" Tarsier flicked his tail across Azalea's snout, making her sneeze.

 _A few HOURS!?_ Azalea jumped up, and stared about the platform.

"Whoa, you woke up FAST! What do you wanna do now?" Tarsier's scales were a light blue, his wing fringes a pastel green and tail a light pink.

Azalea regained hee posture before speaking, "Could we go visit the MudWing I brought in?"

Tarsier stopped swinging from his branch with a thoughtful look, "Yeah, we could. I think Queen Iridescence is busy, so we could go see."

They arrived at a stone building that seemed to radiate fear and oppression.

Inside, there were two guards playing a game of darts, and Tarsier greeted the larger, a dark pink dragon with green fringes.

"Hey Dragonfruit! Where's the MudWing prisoner? How's she been?" Tariser looked around the few cells.

"Eh. She's at the end of the row. Super quiet though, she sometimes grumbles to herself." Dragonfruit eyed a yellow and blue dart.

"Go ahead, Azalea, I'll stay back, shout if you need me!" Tarsier gave her a smile.

Azalea nodded in response and walked down the long hallway of jail cells before seeing Dabris on the last one.

Chains were all over, there were clamps on her ankles, wrists, and wings.

Debris looked up at her as much as the chains allowed, her eyes brightening before darkening again.

Debris flicked her ears in a signal, _What's up?_

 _Fine. What's the plan?_ Azalea answered.

 _Don't worry, I have a plan. Go back to that hollowed tree, I will meet you there._

Debris' talons tapped on the floor.

 _Ok, I will be there tonight._ Azalea's ears started to hurt from the constant movement.

Debris growled, "Get away from me, you lazy RainWing.

Azalea picked up the cue, and went to retort back, but Tarsier stepped in.

"Back off, you mud-brain." he growled, sheilding Azalea.

Debris growled and subsided.

"Come on." Tarsier brushed his wing with hers on his way out.

She followed him, taking a glance at the setting sun. She had to _go_.

"Tarsier, I-I gotta get going to my hut." Azalea looked away.

"Well, I can fly you to your hut." he offered.

"No thanks, I can do it myself." Azalea said, spreading her wings.

"Oh, ok... Bye..." Tarsier developed a deflated expression.

Azalea took off, her ankle aching. Leaves scattered out of her way, the wind from her wings stirring the branches.

Finally, she landed down at the old tree, looking around for Debris.

The leaves rustled in a nearby bush, and without thinking, Azalea whispered, "Debris?"

However, Debris was not in that bush.

As Azalea got closer to inspect it, something pinged in the back of her mind.

She looked around, worry slowly increasing.

Before she could think, something went _thump_ and darkness reached up to grasp Azalea.

 **DRAMA DRAMA DRAMA!!**


	10. The Base

**Thanks for your support and input everyone!** **As of now we have 2 favorites, and 5 follows! THANK YOU SOO MUCH! This is a flashback about the** **old 473-5(where she is when she is knocked out) before becoming Azalea. Quick key to make it easier** :

-1 Mudwing

-2 Sandwing

-3 Skywing

-4 Seawing

-5 Rainwing

-6 Icewing

-7 Nightwing

A small egg sat in an incubator, surrounded by others just like it.

Something pulsed underneath one, and a small claw poked through the egg. Others cracked as well, and soon, there were many -5s blinking and looking around.

A giant -5 flew over the incubator, and called to another -5. They inspected the dragonets before grabbing them and putting them in carts.

They pushed them into a slot, where another -5 was waiting, holding a clipboard.

"Ah, a new arrival of -5s, we are in the 470's now." he remarked.

He pressed a button, and soon the dragonets were being rolled to him one-by-one.

He'd say their number, post a sticker on their back, and send them on their way.

"470-5, 471-5, 472-5, 473-5..." he continued, not heisitating.

This happens everyday, in every tribe. Dragonets are numbered and filed.

 _A year later..._

"What's your number?" A stern -6 stared down at the one-year-old dragonet in front of him.

"Fwor, seeven, thwee, dashing, five!" 473-5 looked up hopefully.

"No. It's Four, seven, three DASH, five." The -7 growled, waving a small stocky whip.

47's eyes grew wide at the sight of it, but she spoke anyway, a slight glimmer of defiance in her eyes, "That's what I said doe. It's not MY fauwt I can't speak well, I'm only one!" she said with youth in her voice.

The -7 stared down at her and flipped 47's arms over, "You will not question. You will obey! I will be writing a failure in your book." he growled before whipping 47's exposed arms.

Tears welled up in her eyes, and she tried to run away. The -6 grapped her, "You do not run. You leave when I say."

47 still struggled, tears falling from her cheeks.

"Don't look at me like that. We're done for the day." **(That's a Handplates reference!)** he said, releasing her.

 _Two years later..._

"Catch it! You know what will happen!" 471-5 murmered to 470.

They found a small cricket in a corner, and caught it, knowing it would be killed.

472-5 had disappeared after training session. They couldn't ask, or at least wouldn't, for now.

The same -7 walked into the room, glaring at them. 473-5 curled her tail closer, yesterday's whips fresh in her mind.

"Alright, we will be doing something different today." he sighed gruffly, "You will be completing a training course. But first, 470-5, step forward,"

The small dragonet did as asked, his tail coiled around the cricket.

"Let me see that cricket." -7 growled.

470 complied, his eyes creased with concern and worry.

"There is no hiding, there is no escaping. You will always be in service, and never able to run." he picked up the cricket with two claws, crushing it.

 _Two years later..._

47 looked up at Chivalry. He had been the dragon to crush her dreams and break dragonets for her whole life. They just learned the name of the infamous heavy hand.

Fourth year of life. It was a celebration. That meant changing mentors, and being able to know others names in the facility. Also meant a bigger sleeping box to accomadate growth.

Another dragon, this one a -5, stood in front of them, talking in a hushed voice to Chivalry.

The -5 turned to them, clearing his throat, "I am Monsoon, your new mentor. For the rest of your dragonet days, you will go to different stations for most of the day, then have free reign for an hour before lights out. We will begin by seperating you into groups."

 _Two_ _years later..._

47 became a master of façades. Apathy was also creeping in. Emotion started to lose appeal, her scales soon stopped turning colors because of it.

She followed the line into the main area. When she got there, her first was to the sunspots. Sitting underneath the UV rays, she fell into unsteady sleep.

The bell rang, and she hurried over to the guide exercise. They learned about the climate and how to talk to dragons.

Her day carried on in this tasteless manner, until the release time. She never knew what to do during this time.

 _A year later_...

Choosing day was tomorrow.

And 47 was ready. Excitement wasn't the right word. Emotion was tiring nowadays, and she didn't waste energy.

473-5 sat on her ledge, unable to sleep. The globe entered her room, and she followed it as every morning goes.

She went through the rotations, no emotion. Nothing. Infractions didn't happen often, but they steadily grew more painful, as they all grew more numb.

Looking down at her arms, she saw faint lines of the whips. Looking onto her wrist, she saw a deeper line, where the cut of her first tag went.

The memory was fresh in her mind. Monsoon tied them as tight as they allowed, and it hurt.

None of them cried out, of course, but there was still pain and blood still came out onto the floor.

She asked, which was a big mistake, "Can these be loosened?"

Monsoon glared at her, bringing his whip with him.

"For that, you will suffer." he growled in a deep tone.

He proceeded to tighten her tag even more, where, if left unchecked, would have killed her.

47 shook away those painful thoughts.

It wouldn't change. It would _never_ change. She couldn't be excited.

The day went on as usual. That night, 47 sat restless in her sleeping compartment.

Tomorrow would be her last day with any kind of freedom. Then, she would be handed off onto another dragon to basically chew their food for them.

Anxiety and, well, a strange different feeling seized her heart at the sound of the wakeup bell and the orb coming into her dorm.

When Monsoon started his speech, she realized what that feeling was and what it meant.

It was hope. Hope, and that hope outlined the very dream she has been dreaming ever since the Ceremony was announced.

She hoped to be released.

 **Wow, that got a little depressing at the end, but I think this** **is what I would feel. Also, two chapters in one day!? IS THIS CHRISTMAS IN AUGUST LEMON!? No, I just wanted to write SO BADLY!**


	11. Smuggled

**HELLOOO AGAIN!! I really need to work on cover art on this story**.

Azalea tried to open her eyes, but everything looked blurry.

She went to rub her eyes, but could only move her talons up to her snout, where she felt the chain.

Her eyes widened in panic before she began to thrash, trying to free herself.

"Whoa, calm down. You'll tighten them too much if you keep that up." an voice mused.

"Who are you!? What have you done to me?!" Azalea yelled into the dark.

She was able to look around, though there wasn't much to look at. Her chains were of heavy iron, and the only light was a single bulb above her.

"Fine, you asked for it." a male dragon came into the light, and recognition hit Azalea like a bolt of lightning.

"Tarsier! What are you doing?" Azalea was thouroughly freaked out.

"Just capturing an assassin, how about you?" Tarsier chuckled at his own joke, his scales a dark purple and blue

"What? Why would you think I'm an assassin?" Azalea knew that the only way to get out of here was placating.

"For Chameleons' sake, stop the act. I found you out. I have your file." he waved a beige folder in front of Azalea.

Azalea lowered her head, her eyes shaded, "Then you know what I did to two dragons," she said in a low voice, "Pity."

Tarsier raised his scaled eyebrow, "Yes, and have found out you are quite the dangerous tool."

"Tool?" Azalea tilted her head up the light only touched one eye.

"Wow. It wasn't mentioned that you're clueless." he smiled wickedly, "You are nothing but a _tool_ in the hands of the Base."

Azalea looked at him the utter disbelief, "Sure. Anywho, who are you really? Why are you doing this?"

"Hm, usually I don't tell people my backstory, but I'll make an exception." Tarsier sat down in the fringes of the light.

"I was stationed to be on the lookout for a RainWing female and a MudWing female. Wanted for murder." he gave her an amused look.

"You came waltzing in, and I must say, I was almost convinced you weren't the one. Why did you think I just suddenly appeared in the trees?" Tarsier's tail flicked once.

"Yeah, and so I followed you, and, I must say, you have quite the façade. I doubted you were my target, and when you killed Tropic, I knew." Tarsier finished.

"Wait, where's my partner?" Azalea asked.

"Meh, she wasn't as fascinatingly talented and useful as you, so when she tried to escape, I stopped her and she is still in the prison, probably worrying about you." Tarsier dismissed the thought.

"So, now for the next question. Why did you dragonnap me?"

"Like I said before, I rescued you from being a tool, and I think you can help bring peace to this continent." Tarsier got up and went up to Azalea, "I don't trust you enough to follow me, so I apologize for your humiliation."

He went over to her, pulled out her tag, and went to attach it onto her wrist, the one with the scar.

When he saw that, his eyes creased, if only for a second, before tightening it loosely on her wrist and touching it.

"I promise this is only temporary." Tarsier murmered as he undid her chains.

Azalea had to fight the urge to bite him. She couldn't stop the growl in her throat.

"Now now, none of that, 473-5. You will be a nice kalator or I will sell you to the cruelest dominous ever." he gave her a stern look.

"I'd like to see you try." Azalea spat venom near his foot, causing him to step back.

"Listen, I will explain more, but we need to get through Possibility, or at least what's left of it. Just be patient please." Tarsier looked her in the eye, "Now, 473-5, show me something pretty."

Azalea couldn't hold back the hate in her eyes, "Yes, my dominous..." she hissed, letting her scales turn red with black dragon skulls with few scales that looked suspicously like Tarsier's dark purple.

Tarsier smiled and led her on, the chain on her neck still on.

"Now remember, both of us die if you get us discovered. Do what a kalator would do." he said to her quietly before taking off the lead.

Azalea changed her scales to a purple and red mix, her ruff was a bright but menacing red.

She couldn't stop the daggers that seemed to stream from her eyes, but could adopt the walk of a kalator.

When they were out, Azalea's scales turned yellow with excitement for the sun.

Then, seeing how crowded the streets were, and forgetting about the tag, she turned invisible and took off.

"473-5! Get back here! Capio!" Tarsier yelled up at her.

Before she knew it, Azalea found herself down on the ground where she took off from, her scales bright and obnoxious.

"Stop. it. now." Tarsier growled in her ear.

All the marketplace dragons turned their heads to the commotion. Tarsier poked Azalea's tag and she had control over her scales again.

"Sorry everyone, I _knew_ this kalator would become partial to it's past owner." Tarsier elbowed Azalea.

"I apologize, my dominous," Azalea tried not to hiss.

"Don't do it again. Come on." Tarsier kept walking.

Azalea huffed inwardly and followed after him.

After a while of walking and dodging baskets of fruit, scorpion tails, and giant red and orange wings, they finally made it to what seemed to be their destination.

It was a nice white shop, with gold trim and small hanging pots outside.

Tarsier led her past the rug of a door, and inside there were few dragons looking at different jewelry and pendants.

Tarsier went past a thick rug that Azalea assumed to be a tapestry, which led into a small room with dark black walls.

Once inside, Tarsier went over to the rug opening and closed a chunk of wall in the correct shape and color as the next room.

He turned back to her, unlocked her tag, and settled onto the red-carpeted floor.

He gave out a long sigh before speaking, "Let's start."

 **What do you think? It might be awhile before next chapter, I gotta work on the cover!**


	12. Madness

"Seems as though you do not care to be here." Tarsier remarked.

"No, being chained and dragonnapped against my will is not one of my favorite pastimes." Azalea growled.

"Ugh, why do you have to be _so dufficult?_ Do you know what that means?" He sighed, turning away from her.

"No, _tell_ me." Azalea said with mock interest.

"Torture. You see, there are many ways of getting information and getting people on our side, but we try to keep torture for extreme cases." Tarsier explained.

"How would torture get me on your side?" Azalea flared her wings, "And I'd like to see you try. Being tortured for the first 7 years of life teaches you a few things about _pain tolerance_." she hissed the last words.

"Ever heard of Stockholm Syndrome? It's a strange phenomenon." Tarsier turned to her, "Listen, are you willing to actually listen and think about what I say?"

Azalea rolled her eyes, and before she could respond, Tarsier flicked his tail, and two burly MudWings entered behind him.

"Take our friend here to the isolation chambers. She needs some time." Tarsier turned to them, and they rushed forward.

"GET OFF OF ME YOU- HEY DON'T TOUCH ME YOU POTUS BERRYED FOOL!" Azalea roared as the two MudWings struggled to grab her arms and wings to drag her off.

Azalea turned to them, and let the venom fly. They didn't scream, to her surprise, just grunted in a _very infuriating way._

Using the trick Blowdart taught her, she went limp, surprising her enemy before going into a frenzy.

Her claws caused multiple gashes, and finally, she got out of their grasps and escaped the room into the shop.

She ran out of the jewelry store and took flight. Well, being caught by the Base's probably biggest enemy wasn't in her plan, but fair enough.

She was about to touch her ear to contact Blowdart before she realized that telling him about her capture and the when-you-get-captured-you-die pouch didn't work probably wasn't the best report. Specially the part about having Debris in prison.

The Rainforest was below her, and without thinking, she plunged into the leaves.

 _Safety, for now_ Azalea thought as she settled down in the thick leaves.

 _A few nights later..._

The cicadas buzzed, making Azalea's goal to stay awake easier. It had been a few days since her escape, and she was unable to find food as of late.

She sighed, getting up from her spot beneath a young banana tree to find some fruit.

It seemed she was right in the wrong season, where no fruit was ready except the rotten ones on the ground.

Exhausted, hungry, and itchy, Azalea frowned under the small tree.

Something caught her attention. A large purple frog jumped past her, and Azalea's stomache growled.

Azalea crouched, hunting the frog before pouncing. She held the head between two claws, staring into the dark black eyes.

Without even considering the markings, she popped it in her mouth, the texture making her gag.

The trees reached to grab her, the floor became lush and soft.

The sky pulled her like puppet strings, the clouds giggling and taunting her.

A palm tree gave her a kind smile, reaching out it's fronds to hug her.

"Mr. Palm!" she cried, hugging the tree around the middle.

 _Tarsier's POV_

He landed near Azalea, who was hugging a tree. Confused, he took a step toward her.

 _Azalea's POV_

The deafening sound of a talonstep tore her away from Mr. Palm. Looking over, she saw a tiny dragonet that started swelling and blocking out the sun.

 _Tarsier's POV_ Azalea was looking at the sky with horror, and Tarsier was now thouroughly confused and concered, "Um. Azalea? What are you doing?"

 _Azalea's POV_

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" the voice was deep and rung like a gong.

"SAVE ME MR. PALM!!" Azalea grabbed the tree's trunk before passing out.

 _Tarsier's POV_

"Sir, what happened?" A dragon behind him asked.

Tarsier approached her body and saw the frog's bright pink skin on her lip.

"Ah, um. J-Just take her away." Tariser turned away, feeling embarrased for Azalea.

 _Azalea's POV_

She blinked awake, dreamily looking around. The bars in front of her looked _delicious_ and was _starving_.

She licked them, the taste sweeter than honey.

 _Prisoner's POV_ Looking over at the strange sound next to him, he saw a female RainWing salivating all over the iron bars.

Watching in confusion, he turned away slowly, facing the NightWing guard, "Hey, um, is she alright?"

The NightWing took a glance over at Azalea, who now had a sizable puddle of drool from mouthing the bar.

His eyes turned from disinterested to weirded out as he hit the voicebox on his desk, "Um, Tarsier, sir, the prisoner in Sector B 13 is, uh, acting strange."

The box was silent for maybe a second, "Ah, don't mind her, she had a run-in with a purple lymphatus frog." he explained.

"Mhm..." he stared wildly at Azalea.

Azalea soon fell into deep slumber.

 _Azalea's POV_ She sat up, groggy. Her mind still buzzed, her eyes hard to open. Something cold and solid was in her mouth

Looking around, she took in the bars and stone walls around her, and then seeing her jaws around one of the cast iron rods.

With a start, she sat up, looking for her enemy. There was a pile of drool, and the bar was wet. _Geez, I hope that's not mine..._

Shaking her head, she was dimly aware of the dragon in the cell next to her staring at her like she was gonna grow another head.

"Feeling better?" he chuckled, but before she could answer, he turned to the guard, "Looks like she's awake, without licking the bars. Money please," he stuck his talons through the bars at the guard.

With a grunt, the guard gave him a fish before pressing the voicebox again, "She's awake, sir."

A response came moments after, "Ah, thank you. I will be down momentarily." **I really need to get on my cover art, see ya later!**


	13. Findings

**I KNOW I need to work on the cover art, I just keep forgetting. It will probably be done when I have time. I write these whenever I have free time in class. You're welcome!**

Azalea's head snapped up at the sound of talonsteps.

Tarsier came down, nodded to the guard, and stopped in front of her cell, "Hello again." he said cheerfully.

"Why did you bring me back?" Azalea growled, "Why do you keep coming after me?"

"Ugh, I told you before, but come on. Don't try and escape this time, you won't get too far." Tarsier opened her cell.

She followed him until her claws started vibrating. Azalea looked down at them in confusion.

"How long has it been since you killed?" Tarsier looked at her with a smug look.

"Maybe a week or two, why? It's none of your business." she growled.

"Remember that sack in your throat that was supposed to kill you?" She wanted to rip that smug smile off his face.

"What about it?" she was starting to panic a little bit.

"That wasn't the only thing in it. It releases a type of plant called occisio tempore. An addictive drug that moniters your level of dopamine, and killers like you get a spike when a job is well done. So in other words, you are experiencing a small withdrawal before it lashes out into a big one, killing you as your brain wants more." Tarsier explained, his face looking as happy as all get out.

"So?" Azalea tried to hide the panic.

"So, I offer you a deal," he slid open the door to reveal a comfortable-looking room with a desk and large table, food strewn over the surface, "You kill for me, get food, shelter, and protection."

"Why would I need your petty protection?" Azalea sneered.

"Hm. Still too arrogant for your own good." he picked up a drumstick from the table, "Fine. I will give you leave, but the target on your back will brighten, I will make it absolutely impossible to kill, telling every dragon about Tropic and that royal IceWing. Your choice." he waved it at her, having that stupid know-it-all face.

Azalea rolled her eyes, about to respond with a no, but something pinged in the back of her mind. Maybe this _wasn't_ such a bad idea. She missed Debris, but with 3 years of training she would do fine.

She did hate The Base, maybe double-crossing them wasn't terrible. With her mind made up, she responded, "Fine. You didn't give me much choice, and I wouldn't mind being hired for something."

Tarsier opened his mouth before Azalea interrupted him, "BUT, you have to promise to stop using that dumb face and learn humility yourself. AND," she gave him a grin, "Have to tell me your backstory. I'm not gonna work for a robot, and I wanna know why you hate The Base."

Tarsier sighed, "You drive a hard bargain. I swear I already told you about myself." he admitted.

"More you explained how you found me with a smug look, so it doesn't count." she raised her eyebrow.

"I don't _have_ to hire you." Tarsier shot her the same look.

"You seem to go through a lot of trouble for my services, so I'm gonna guess you'll agree." Azalea went over to the table of food.

"Ugh. Fine." Tarsier put out a talon, "But you have to repeat after me to finish your oath."

"Then you have to do the same." Azalea stared at his talon.

"Wow. You really _are_ as stubborn as a donkey." Tarsier admitted, "Fine."

They shook, and Azalea headed over to the table.

Tarsier sunk onto the chair near the desk, "What am I getting myself into?"

"Hey, I'm not the dragon napper and assassin hirerer." Azalea said through a chicken leg.

"Ugh, I wanna send you back to the dungeon just for your insolence." Tarsier admitted, his hands over his head.

Azalea snickered before continuing to eat.

 _A few days later..._

She headed towards the training area. She hadn't been this full for a long time, well come to think of it, never.

It had been a few days since her most recent capture by Tarsier, and she had waited to pry until today.

She was gonna confront him today at the training fields while they sparred.

He had remarkable training fields, which Azalea used to keep her skills honed. Whenever she trained, it always brought a pang of sorrow because Debris wasn't there.

She was the best sparring partner, and was the only one Azalea hadn't been able to beat that she had faced.

 _I_ have _to catch up with her and chat_. Azalea thought as she faced Tarsier.

His soldiers were quite well trained, but not prepared for Azalea's unique way of fighting. Now she faced Tarsier himself.

"You sure you want to get your tail kicked?" she shouted to him.

"Likewise. Now stop with your blabber and fight." Tarsier lowered himself, tail swishing.

Azalea answered with a charge. Tarsier quickly camoflaged and tripped her.

Azalea turned, looking for that faint glimmer where he was. Spotting it, she rushed and pinned him.

"Ah, nice to see you." Tarsier smiled at her, uncamoflaging before kicking her off.

"I wish I could say the same." Azalea grinned, sprinting towards him.

They engaged in a swipe-and-duck fight, each fenting and attacking like it was an art form or a dance.

 _Tarsier's good!_ Azalea thought as sweat trickled down her face. To her pleasure, Tarsier also had sweat across his brow.

"Alright, that's enough." Tarsier panted. Gaining his demeanor, he straightened, "I'm impressed."

Azalea held back a retort, and responded, "Agreed. I didn't know you could fight like that."

"Let's just say I have practiced." He gulped some air before taking a leave. Before he exited, he spoke, "You know, you've been pretty patient. Come to my office at sunset. We need to talk."

Azalea nodded as he left.

 _Time for some answers._

 **Thank you for your support! I appreciate all of y'all!**


	14. Truth

**As of this note, we have 9** **followers! Thank you all of you!**

Azalea wandered to Tarsier's office. She asked a guard where it was and they were incredibly vague.

 _This must be it_ , Azalea thought as she knocked.

"Come in, Azalea." Tarsier's voice sounded.

She opened the door to the same comfortable room she first arrived in, except without the table of the food.

"Please, sit." Tarsier looked exhausted.

Azalea followed his order, but before she could speak, Tarsier sighed.

"Alright, the only ones who really know about me are me. So if you asomuch tell the guards outside, or anyone, even your MudWing comrade, I will so much wring your neck after calling you a crazy mad dragon." Tarsier's voice sounded tired, but was outlined with anger.

Azalea nodded, "Yes sir."

He got up, "Get comfortable."

 **So I'm just gonna tell the story because that's too long of quotations or italics.**

My mother was a fair dragon named Lantana, my father was a dragon named Toucan.

I lived with them until the war. The war hit us hard. My father left, and my mother began working for the Queen.

I didn't understand what was going on, so I told my mum that I would find a job to help pay for the fruit rations.

Off I went, Possibility first. There were strange dragons with tags, kalators, and I had never seen them in the rainforest.

One dragon must have known of my naivate. He dragon napped me, dragging me behind the shop before whispering, "Don't scream if you know what's good for you." Me, being the scared dragonet I was, nodded and obeyed. For some reason, following this dumb dragon's orders made something crack in my mind.

He then put a tag and grabbed my snout, about to do the unthinkable before asking me, "I'll allow you one last question."

"Why are you doing this to me?" I blurted. He chuckled, which caused me to growl slightly in my throat.

"Since the Blue Tang Flu, which infects more than just SeaWings, hit The Base, we are looking for dragonets to replace them, like substiutes, until we can fill them with real ones." he answered, then grabbed my snout, "I'm sorry."

 _I enchant this tag to make the dragonet wearing it become a faithful kalator until I replace them with a real one._ His words seemed to wrap around my skull, my mind becoming cottonlike and numb.

I found my lips moving for me, unable to control my limbs. I went through kalator work for a year, dreading every second, some days I wanted to stop caring, just let the spell take me, but other days I wanted to fight.

Finally, on my eighth birthday, I was back to normal. He worded his spell to effect a dragonet, and now I was full-grown.

I had no way to escape, so I killed my dominous. Finally, I was free. I returned to my family, but Lantana was killed by the dragon that enslaved me, and my father died in war.

Left with nothing, I made a deal with Stallion, a large MudWing/RainWing hybrid and worked for him.

I found his faults and strengths. Before I could overtake him, a small NightWing finished the job. I tracked that NightWing and asked him why he killed Stallion.

All he told was, "The Base will bring us sanctity!" I chained him up until a few weeks later he died of unknown causes.

We tested his blood and found the drug that is now in your throat.

 **End Story**

Azalea looked up at Tarsier. Why was she feeling the emotion she only felt for Debris and Blowdart?

Azalea was taken aback, _I respect him._ Respect was seldom seen in her, only from someone that beat her or she learned from.

"So? Do we still have the deal?" He asked.

Azalea's lips moved before she could stop them, "Yes. Who is first?"

Tarsier laughed, "Ambitious? You have to wait a while before I send you, after being in hiding for a few weeks and only using your skills once in a month of inactivity, you need to get back up to your prime."

Azalea hid her anger, "Fine. How long?"

"Till I see fit, you will not leave this complex."

Azalea growled, "What about the whole occisio tempore killing me?"

"That'll make you work harder, you can be sure of that lad. You can be sure of that." Tarsier smiled at her and left.

 ** _I AM A QUESTION TO THE WORLD, NOT AN ANSWER TO BE HEARD_** ** _OR A MOMENT, THAT'S HELD IN YOUR ARMS-_ let me know if you know that reference. Back to story!**

Azalea clawed at the SkyWing guard, Tarsier watching her. It had been a week or two since her capture, and she wasn't minding this constant training.

He was soon to the ground, Azalea standing over him with her fangs exposed, "Any last words?"

"YOU NEED TO WORK ON YOUR DEATH SENTENCE. THAT'S REALLY CLICHÉ" Tarsier yelled.

"Ugh!" Azalea shouted as she released her opponent.

She stalked over to Tarsier, "It really doesn't matter, they'll be dead anyway." she groaned.

"Tsk tsk, Azalea. It all matters. It makes the killer have a special move, making them known." Tarsier poked her snout.

She slapped his talon away, "Isn't that what an assassin doesn't want? To be known?"

"Ah, I taught you well." Tarsier smiled. He turned to leave

"Um, What?" Azalea said exasperated, "All I've been doing is review, I haven't learned anything."

"Very well, whatever you say, Lea." Tarsier gave her a sly glance over his wing.

"Why do you _insist_ with that dumb nickname? Why don't you call me Aza while you're at it, and I'll call you _Tar._ " she said.

"Just because it bothers you. Anywho, I have some bigger fish to fry. See you in my office at sunset."

Azalea sighed. _Soon I'll be fr_ _ee_

 **Another chapter done! I am debating on having romance with these two or not, and my friend Startalons is very biased against Tarsier, so I wanna know what the people want!**


	15. Waiting

**Btw, I might take a hiatus if you guys want so I can focus on In The Moonlight or Fire and Ice or Clearpool. Let me know! The default if no one says anything is I am taking a break for Fire and Ic** **e**

Azalea headed towards Tarsier's office again, knocking just like before. He ordered her in, just like before.

Sitting down across from him, she looked at him expectantly to start the conversation.

"Do you respect me?" Tarsier looked at her.

Azalea was caught off-guard, "W-What?"

"Do you respect me as a dragon, my ideas, and my actions?" he clarified.

Azalea sat and thought. Her immediate barbed answer was no, but maybe she should respond honestly to a question like this.

She took a deep breath, "Yes. I think you know what you're doing."

"Would you obey me even if it sounds crazy?" Tarsier cocked his head.

"Yes." Azalea looked up at him, "Do you respect me?"

"Yes." Tarsier answered.

"What is the point of this?" Azalea asked.

Tarsier looked down at his papers, "To know you are ready. Prepare immediately, you have been assigned to an assassin mission."

Azalea felt a burst of yellow go through her scales. Clearing her throat, "Where, who, and when?"

"Well, basically you will sneak into the Mud Kingdom and kill a general. But, you will need a special necklace. It's animus touched, so everyone but me will see you as a MudWing, or any other tribe needed on your mission"

"So where is it?" Azalea asked.

"You don't get it until you leave, go prepare and come back tomorrow." Tarsier dismissed her.

Instead of argueing, which was her usual answer to being dismissed, she left willingly. Her scales couldn't keep the yellow and pink that seemed to want to burst out her scales covered with the grey and blue.

Once she was in the safety of her sleeping room, she let her scales go, and they turned a variety of colors. It looked like a living rainbow had spewed it's insides all over her.

Azalea didn't need to pack, she just needed the assignment and she would be fine.

 _The next day..._

Sunset would _never_ come. Azalea looked through the scant supplies she had.

After considering what the mission might be, she made a small pack that would be slung across her neck, but would be between her wings, strapped to her back.

Looking up at the sky, she saw the sun sitting on the horizon, _It doesn't hurt to be a little early._ Azalea mused as she exited her stone room.

She took off from the hallway, watching the dragons below training. The sun was starting to crawl under the horizon.

Landing outside the hallway with Tarsier's room, which was intermixed with many other doors(a good way to keep from unwanted visitors out and away, one of the reasons Azalea respected Tarsier's cleverness.).

Finding his, she knocked. "Come in." he sounded.

"So, let me know who, where, and when." Azalea counted on her talons for emphasis.

"Sadly, you don't need to take them out." Tarsier gave her a sad look.

"Wait. WHAT!?" Azalea's wings flared.

"Another assassin got them. I just got the news today." he slapped an open scroll in front of her.

 _Sediment, our brave MudWing general, was found dead in his study._

 _Investigators say he died by Blue Tang Spit, slowly killing him with no side effects. It has been ruled to be natural causes, as Sediment always enjoyed fish as his meal._

Azalea looked up, "What's Blue Tang Spit?"

"Blue Tang Spit is what caused the disease of Blue Tang Flu. Nasty business. Just one thing: Only assassins and their masters can afford it. He was killed by someone, and I must say I would have just used potusberries, since he was an avid drinker, but whatever. He was your mission-"

Azalea interrupted him, red chasing away any blue-purple of disappointment "So, I get to wait here and slowly die! THANK YOU CAPTAIN!" she shouted.

Tarsier held up a talon, "Calm down. You interrupted me before I could finish. I got some hookups to the sibs of Sediment, and you get to see it and find who killed him and bring him down. A bit more difficult, so I can do it if-"

"Whoa, whoa, what!?" Azalea interrupted again, "You think I can't handle tracking down a murderor? Bring. it. on."

"Man, you are just little miss interrupter today aren't you." he chuckled, "Alright, here. You'll need these." he laid out what looked like a velvet burrito and a small bag made of scarlet fabric.

"Seems a little showy, don't you think?" Azalea remarked.

"They are necessary for your cover. Believe me, I don't like them either. The family of Sediment want to know the REAL cause of death. You will be acting as a determiner, and will investigate the body. These make you look more... professional. After that, you'll look for the killer and bring them down." Tarsier unwrapped the burrito.

Inside was a brush, some powder in a small glass container, and a magnifying glass.

"What's this?" Azalea asked as she picked up the powder in the glass container.

"It's for talonprints. You put a bit on a spot that might have a talonprint, use the brush, and take the print." he squinted as he looked at her ear, "We are gonna have to take that out. No matter, I can replace it."

"What?" Azalea looked behind her and searched for the item of his scrutiny.

"The chip you use to contact The Base." Tarsier strod over to her, "Put your head down, I need to look at it." he instructed.

Azalea's moment of heisitation didn't go unnoticed. Tarsier gave her a skeptical look before going over to the small box embedded in the scale below her ear.

"Hm, give me-" Azalea heard a pop, "Nevermind! Well, now that we have that sneaky baboon out, let's replace it." he held up the small box that was securly in his claws.

Azalea rubbed her ear, "So, when do I go out to face this dragon murderor." she said the last word with poison and eagerness to kill.

"Oh, wow. Azalea dear, they are only doing their job. You both are equals." Tarsier smiled wickedly.

"Ugh." she rolled her eyes.

"Oh, and you will probably leave tonight. Run along, I'll send a messenger to fetch you." he used his talons in a shooing gesture.

 _Soon. But for now, more waiting._ Azalea thought as she left Tarsier's study.

 **Let me know if I should take a hiatus, and on what story to write on!**


	16. Starting Out

Azalea waited. And waited. She took out her anger on dragon training dummies. She beat 27 guards with a small dagger.

Now, all the guard were nursing their wounds, seamstresses kept giving her angry looks as they patched up the dummies, and her dagger was being sharpened.

Then, a small SandWing with scales of cream flew up to her, and gave her a message while dancing from foot to foot nerviously, "It's time to meet with Tarsier."

She thanked him and he flew away, one of his wings bent at a strange angle.

The door was open, this time. Things were strewn about, and Tarsier was sitting in a corner, his talons to his temples.

"Um... Hello?" Azalea looked around the room in concern.

"Oh, don't mind the mess... I was just... looking for something." Tarsier picked up some of the many scattered papers.

"Oookkkaayy... Well, I was told by a little fella that I was supposed to come." She went over to the couch and swiped off the papers onto the floor.

Tarsier sighed, "I can't keep up today. Will you help me clean up? And then we can discuss the mission."

 _An hour or two later..._

"Thanks Azalea." Tarsier plopped into his seat.

The room was clean now, but Azalea had never seen

"Now about the mission?" Azalea prodded.

"You leave tonight, I will be waiting at the western gate. I want to see you there before the middle moon is halfway." he said in an obvious dismissal.

"Will I get more information on the mission instead of, 'Oh, you need to kill a murderor.' Because that isn't too helpful." she refused to leave.

"You'll get info as you need it. Oh, that reminds me," he went over to his desk and opened the lowest drawer, "Happy hatchday." he held out a small box with a glass top and sponge-like material inside, with a small, black, flat rectangle.

"Don't tell me your that much of a creep that you know my hatchday is today." Azalea raised an eyebridge.

"Pfft, no. You don't even know your hatchday. This is your new communication device." he opened it up.

"Do you have to put it in?" Azalea asked.

He gave her a look, "Well yes. It's easier for me to put it between your scales. Kind of like when you put gems between your scales."

Azalea ducked her head obediently for Tarsier to put in the piece. His talons wrapped around her neck, and Azalea tried not to quiver. After the slight pop, Tarsier pulled away.

"There. Done. Now, I will see you at the western gate before the moon is midway." Tarsier opened the door for her.

Azalea nodded her consent and left.

 _When the middle moon was a quarter across the sky..._

Azalea snuck through the training grounds, her pack bumping across her scales.

Her ears were pricked, and her claws were sharpened.

When she finally got next to the gate, she heard an almost inaudible swoop.

"You're here. Early." Tarsier's voice whispered.

"Yes, now, give me the directions and the stuff." Azalea put her talons out.

"Fine," he gave her the burrito and the bag.

"You never explained this." Azalea whispered as she pointed to the small bag.

"Oh, that's a medallion that changes your shape into any dragon tribe. You won't need it, I don't think, but you have it to be safe." he dumped out a small necklace with a green vine-like chain and a ruby surrounded by chestnut vine-like metal that attached to the chain. He held it out to her.

"Hm. Not the prettiest thing." Azalea admitted as she took it and placed it around her neck.

"First, imagine the tribe, and what shape. Think of a pale SandWing, almost as pale as ice, and at the age of a small dragonet." he said.

She turned into what he said, now shorter. She looked at her small, dainty talons and looked up at him, "So now what?" her voice was small.

"You have taken the shape of Caracal. At least, that's the name of a dragon that looks like you." **(Courtesy of for letting me use Caracal the SandWing in Hearts of Black and Gold)** Tarsier peered at the necklace, "Your necklace isn't hidden yet. Trace the ruby with your claw."

Azalea did as he asked and the necklace disappeared, "How do I get it back?"

"Trace each horn, and then twice around your heart, and you will change back," Tarsier instructed before pressing the bag into Azalea's pale Caracal talons, "You need to get going. Goodbye, and good luck. Contact me if you have any trouble." Tarsier began to take off before looking back at her, "Be safe, I don't want to find you dead." Tarsier took off into the night.

When Azalea went to put the bag down, she heard the crinkle of paper.

Curious, she knelt down and opened it up, finding coordinates to the MudWing's body and name and shapes that she could have in every tribe. She took off the necklace in the way appointed to her.

Slightly smiling, Azalea shook her head and stuffed them into her pack.

She took off into the night, the moons' soft light dancing across her wings.

She loved the sky. It sounded very SkyWing-ish, but living without it for 7 years leaves a mark upon a dragon's soul.

Azalea looked down at the small city of Possibility, where few candles or lightbulbs were still on. Night seemed to wrap the world in silvery light.

She was over a small Scavenger Den, and Azalea could spot frost on some of the open fields where Scavengers farmed.

If she continued at this pace, which was already making Azalea's wings ache, she could be there before dawn.

Fatigue hit Azalea like a gust of wind. Rolling her eyes at her weakness, she took a detour towards the Rainforest Kingdom to sleep in one of the trees.

Landing on the fringes of Rain and Mud Kingdoms, she took refuge in a tall jungle tree, densely covered in leaves to hide her.

She sighed, trying to wrap her head around the last few weeks, or months, moreover.

Her life hadn't been the best, and she didn't know where the cocky RainWing was inside of her that snapped at Tarsier, or where the honest one was that respected Tarsier. Or the one that left Debris without a second thought.

She closed her eyes as shame and guilt crashed over her at the thought of her comrade.

Unable to sleep, Azalea sat in the tree, watching the sunrise as she reminisced about her life.

 **Okay, the last 200 or so words were snippets of her flight, I know she can't fly that fast. Again, this story is writing itself. Thank yo** **u all 12 of you followers and 7 of you favoriters, and all of you viewers out there! I appreciate you all and am hoping to have 20 when I reach chapter 20-25(yes, this is gonna be a long one) But yeah, I am copying Blueberrypietree and putting a silly signature face(shoutout to her XD) at the end of the chapter. Soooo:**

(it might not show up)


	17. A Dead Dragon

**WOOWWWWWW ITS SOO GOOD TO SEE Y'ALL AGAIN!!!**

Azalea blinked at the rising sun, stretching her wings out and rising from her hidden part in the tree.

Deciding to play it slow and safe, Azalea decided to go in around early noon, giving her time to hunt and read the file.

After a quick hunt, a jungle hog hooked in her claws, she sat on the floor to eat, so it wouldn't be suspicious to find a carcass or the scent of blood in a tree.

Doing nothing was pretty nice, specially after Azalea's insane month or two. _Specially after that adventure in the Ice Kingdom!_ she laughed and looked over her right shoulder, "Isn't that right Debris?"

Looking around, Azalea then felt extremely lonely. Her partner, her friend, was gone. Shaking her head with a smile, Azalea headed off in the direction of the Rainforest Village.

 _There!_ Her mind exclaimed as she spotted the stone brick prison lying on the forest floor, bathing in it's own mystery and foreboding.

Peering in, camoflaged, of course, Azalea looked around through one of the few barred windows.

It was like a ghost town. There was no one and no thing to see. Panic seemed to scream in Azalea's chest when she saw the old chains that used to house Debris, they hung limply from the wall and laid hap-hazardly on the ground.

Azalea let herself slide down the wall, her wings shivering. _SHE'S GONE, AND ITS ALL MY FAULT!_ her mind screamed.

For the first time ever, Azalea began to weep. She had come close to crying, back in The Base days, but that was from physical pain.

She closed her wings around herself, the blue almost black from the overwhelming loss and sadness.

Azalea squeezed her eyes shut, trying to regain control of her emotions when she heard a squeal.

Turning about, she saw no dragon. Confused, and slightly embarrased, Azalea growled and stalked around the area.

Then something barreled into her, pushing her into the trees.

"WHO ARE YOU!?" Azalea yelled as she launched herself at whatever attacked her.

"Really?" She heard a familiar voice answer her.

In front of Azalea, was Debris. Trying to keep the pink from invading her scales, she rubbed her eyes in amazement, "Where did you come from? How-"

Debris cut her off, "I was rescued by another MudWing, and have now forgone the assassin lifestyle. They think I'm dead." her smile turned serious and she grabbed Azalea's neck loosely, "And you _better_ not tell them otherwise."

Azalea gasped, _Of course she doesn't know I work of Tarsier! Well, better not tell her._ "Of couse!" She delicately pulled Debris' talons from her throat, "We _are_ partners, so you better not rat me out."

Debris sighed, "You know, I have a problem, I am a sentry, and have to report you."

Azalea prepared herself to fight. Even though Debris seemed like her blood sister, she didn't want to have to cover her tracks.

"But I won't. Make yourself scarce, I almost need to capture you, so if I see you again," she sighed heavily, and got closer to Azalea, "I don't have a choice. I'm sorry Azalea, I... just _can't_ go back. I love it here. So..." she brushed her wingtip with Azalea's and nudged her with her tail, "Go. Never come back."

Azalea smiled at Debris, "Thanks for being there. I'll always remember my teacher and friend."

Debris smiled back, tears in her eyes, "We'll catch up later. Oh, and by the way, you need to find yourself a mate, I have!" she yelled as Azalea left.

Azalea widened her eyes as she sprinted away from Debris, _Found herself a mate!? How!?_

Azalea took to the sky when she was almost 50 feet away from Debris. Taking one last look at where she last saw Debris, all that remained was grass and one brown scale.

Azalea shook her head knowingly before reaching towards her ear, _Should I tell Tarsier?_ The conversation of trust came in. Rolling her eyes inwardly, she poked the black scale.

Ah, Azalea, my favorite assassin! Is the murderor found yet? My my, It's been quick!" Tarsier's voice answered.

"No, I'm still on my way, but I saw Debris, and I thought I should report that." she answered.

"Hm... Well, I see it as a minor detail. Was it a touching reunion?" he slightly mused.

"No, not really. She has forgone working with the Base, and now is a full MudWing."

"I see. Well, thanks for the update. Now go and tell me about that MudWing's body. Oh! Don't forget to change yourself out for a MudWing shape called Mink. Adió." his voice faded out.

Remembering, she pulled out the necklace from the pouch and thought _Mink._ She felt her snout thicken and widen, her tail grow shorter and fatter.

Looking at her talons, and flexing the now chestnut and golden claws, she was impressed and continued on.

Azalea began flapping her darker copper wings harder before she saw the grass change to marsh below her. Then an old tune from long ago reached her ears.

 _"The dragonets are coming..."_

She looked down at a small mud hut where she saw a troop of MudWings practising as they sang.

 _"They are coming to save the day..."_

They dove and sliced with the rhythm.

Azalea saw why MudWings had to be eliminated, they worked as a well-oiled machine, working with each other like mindreaders.

Then, five MudWings surrounded her, the largest facing her, "Halt! Who are you? What is your business here, where is your troop"

"Oh, I am Mink, here for Brine's family" she tried to muster an angry look, "And why did you stop me, I'm a _MudWing_ for Moorhen's sake!"

"Sorry ma'am, we have been pressing hard on security ever since Sediment... well... you know..." She visibly shook herself, "I'm Brine, by the way, and this is Muskrat, Beaver, Mollusk, and Dragonfly." she pointed to all of them in turn, "Please follow me."

Azalea followed them and was greeted by a faint smell of something dead. Inside a smaller hut was a mound of strange grey mud.

"This is Sediment." Brine lowered her head and Dragonfly stifled a cry as Beaver put a wing around her.

"Hm." Azalea poked the grey mud, which was surprisingly hard.

"Let us remove that." Brine smashed her talons over the top and it shattered.

Inside, was a dead dragon, with a look of terror still on it's face.

 **So, I wanted this to be actiony, it wasn't, but next chapter will be. What do you think of Debris showing up again?**


	18. Infiltrator

Azalea approached the body, which seemed to be slowly decaying. "What was the strange mud covering it?"

Brine looked at her confused, "Um, it's retineo."

"Oh of course! Sorry, my mind is starting to fail me." Azalea realized how dumb it was for a _MudWing_ to ask about mud, not to mention highly suspicious.

Stepping around the dead dragon's wing, she moved his talons, and look around his wings, testing the limp joints. Deciding it seemed pretty true he died from Blue Tang Spit, but she had a hunch, she asked the siblings to flip him over onto his stomache.

They did as she asked, and she found it. His stomache was almost black, it could be anything. She took out a needle and drew some of the liquid. It stayed black in the syringe, meaning it wasn't blood.

She took a note and wrapped the syringe in the burrito. Continueing, she found a strange object in his talons. It seemed like a small locket, a piece of parchment inside.

Removing the slip, she saw it was only the note of the previous forensic pathologist. Sighing, she commited the name, Marlin, to memory.

Turning to the sibs, she looked as grim as possible, "I can't decide. Definitly not natural cause, specially because of this," she held up the black liquid, "I will run some tests and find out." she stuck her talon out, "My condolences. I lost my sib too."

Brine accepted it, "Thanks. You are always welcome here. If you ever come around this area, ask for Brine and come right in." Brine gave her a warm smile and followed her out.

Saying her last goodbyes, Azalea felt a buzz near her ear, growling slightly, she poked the device, "What do you need?"

"Have you seen the body yet?"

"Yes." Azalea answered angrily.

"Ok, anything new? I have a lead, and I want it confirmed." his voice sounded.

"I found black stuff in the abdomen, and the tag in his talons said his first examiner was a fellow named Marlin." she reported, reading off her notes.

She heard a sigh on the other line, "Well, then it was an inside job. Marlin is a SeaWing that wants to end this war on his terms, and it lining his scales with the money he earns from assasinations. I have intel that says he is in Sanctuary, find him and kill him."

"Aye Aye," Azalea then asked, "Why don't I just capture him?"

"Because he is a burden, and there is no changing this one's mind. Believe me, I've tried." Tarsier answered, "We'll talk when you return, Adió,". The call ended.

Taking off the necklace, she looked through the list of shapes. She settled on a SkyWing one to speed her along.

It was a bright red SkyWing called Rubellite. Her muscles seemed to grow wider and her wings widened, which made Azalea wish she changed on the ground.

Each normal wingbeat Azalea took got her as far as two. She decided to try the "speeding bullet" she saw some SkyWings at Tarsier's compound perform.

She brought her talons as close as she could to her body and flapped her wings hard and fast. Azalea shut her eyes tight as she tried to speed forward.

The wind whistled in her ears and she opened her eyes to be greeted with clouds streaming across her vision.

The ground blurred into a green and brown mess. Azalea had never gone this fast, and she fell in love with the wind in her face and the feeling of flight.

But soon, her wings began to tire, and the buildings of Sactuary loomed ahead, at least 50 miles away.

Azalea clenched her red claws, deciding the slow down. Stopping was harder than she anticipated, but soon began to slow.

A loud _BEEP_ screamed in her ear, making her clutch it in pain and fall down to the ground. In the process, she touched the button.

"Okay, I have some important stuff you need to know _now_. That black stuff, letalis limus, is a deadly tar-like substance that slowly melts whatever it is around, so get it off your person IMMEDIATLY!" Tarsier's voice rushed.

"Um, first, OW! WHY DID YOU HAVE TO DEAFEN ME!? and what?!" she pulled out the syringe, and the walls did look much thinner, if Azalea was honest.

She lightly dropped it onto the ground, where it broke the glass and set to work on the grass and dirt.

"Oh, and you are looking for that Marlin fellow. KILL ON SIGHT. He is going to poison all the Queens of all the tribes to force this world into anarchy. He is a light blue SeaWing. I gotta go, but I have time for one question. Make it quick," Tarsier's voice ordered.

Azalea thought for a moment before asking the logical question, "Wait what?"

Azalea heard a groan, "I don't have _time_ to repeat that, so I will make it simple, Marlin is bad. Kill drunk light blue SeaWing with purple stripes. You also probably want to know how I know." He paused, "You know, I'll tell you later. Adió."

Azalea rubbed her ear tenderly. She got up, and took off her necklace. She hated seeing her scales just one color, and being unable to camoflage.

She restored the necklace into it's bag and slung it between her wings.

Azalea lifted off into the sky, flying straight to the large buildings. Landing on one of the roofs, she surveyed the area before spotting a light blue dot amid black, tan, and white.

No SkyWings were here, probably because the Queen wanted to keep her dragon's safe.

The SeaWing amidst the crowd stumbled about. Azalea realized what she had to do.

Sighing as she pulled out the list of forms and necklace, she found a SeaWing form named Conch.

Azalea thought about the darker SeaWing, with strange twisting horns and small crevices dotted about their surface.

 _I really don't wanna do this..._ Azalea thought as she swooped towards the drunken SeaWing.

 **When I was writing this, I was tired. Fun fact.**


	19. Returning

b **Still tired. XD I will probably be updating weekly, and the plan is to end the story at chapter 30, so expect a lot of action!**

Azalea lighted down among the other dragons, most of them giving her a look of disgust.

She tried to tuck her wings in to preserve space, but all the dull-colored dragons seemed to be pushing into her on purpose.

Amid the crowd she heard a voice, "Hay! StOp PiCking oN hEr!" **(I really wanted it to look like that XD)** She saw Marlin swagger through the crowd, he came over to her, putting a wing around her.

"Filthy probrosius scales!" An IceWing with bright white scales shoved Marlin, then looked over at Azalea, "You better get out of here before your scales are used as curtains. You probably don't understand our way."

"Yes sir." she lowered her head, unable to hide the gleam of anger in her eyes.

He snatched her chin, bringing her snout up close so he could stare in her eyes, "Don't disobey me, little dragoness. You will regret your contempt." he released her and walked away.

Marlin got up, "Wuzzat? hE's GOOONNNEEEE!" he looked over at her, seeming to sober a bit, "Are you a SandWing? Because your scales _warmed my heart._ "

Azalea tried to seem nonchalant, but her heart was pounding.

"COmE tHis WaY mY DEaR..." he kept mumbling incoherently as he pulled her into an ally, "I wAnnA ShOw You SOMETHING SPEEECIALLLLL"

She prepared for her murder, planning to break his neck and fly away.

"TaKe this!" he shed the drunk act and turned to her in fight-ready position, "Tariser sent you, didn't he!?" he yelled, grabbing a satchel from the shadowy corner.

Azalea flared her wings and reached forward to scratch him while he was grabbing the bag.

He turned around swiftly, grabbing her wrist with a sly grin, "Ah ah ah... Now now, no attacking your opponent before they're ready." he tsked.

Azalea wrenched her wrist out of his grasp, "That's not how I was taught." she growled, trying to camoflage before she remembered her shape.

"So, you must know about Sediment. Well," he pulled out a giant syringe filled with the tar, "Soon I will use this on all the oppressive rulers in this world, freeing every dragonet of their terrible and unjust reign."

Azalea opened her mouth to spray venom, when she remembered, _she can't._ And that was _so infuriating._

"Well," he tapped his jaw, "Maybe I could use it on you." he voice dripped with poison.

Looking down at her tail, she flipped around and slapped him over the head with it.

"NO!" he screamed as the bottle flew out of his talons and smashed on the ground. It splashed surprisingly far, but none got on Azalea, she didn't feel any, and would not take her eyes off of Marlin.

"You thought you would win. There is no win for you." Azalea growled, moving over to him as he looked listlessly over at his spilled creation.

When she approached, he gave her a sly smile and opened his snout to speak, but Azalea didn't give him the chance.

She slammed her talons on his head and brought it to the ground before turning his head quick and fast until she heard a satisfying crack.

It made her smile as the occisio tempore coursed in her veins, making her feel powerful.

She took his bag, and took off, before feeling the worst sting of pain she had ever felt.

Trying to hold in a scream, Azalea looked down at her leg to see the rar eating at her left front talon.

She lighted down and grabbed a stick, trying to rub off as much as possible.

It burned like she rammed a burning poker into her leg.

She took off, flying as fast as possible and trying not to cry out. Azalea had been in pain, but never burned to the bone.

 _A few hours of painful flight later..._

The sun began to set, and Azalea collapsed onto a cliff. Shuddering, she changed her shape into a SandWing, hoping the warmth would keep her from the harsh mountain wind.

 _A few hours later..._

Azalea awoke to her leg still in pain, but the injury seemed to be less painful.

Limping into the sky, she saw the Sand Kingdom in front of her. Then, she felt the familiar sting of her leg.

Her mind was starting to numb the pain, now dulling it to an ache.

She felt dizzy and nauseated. Each wingstroke felt like she was carrying three dragons on both wings.

Azalea saw the outline of the Scorpion Den just as her vision began to flicker.

She flew to Tarsier's compound, and landed on the Training Grounds. Luckily, no one was there to see Azalea's sorry excuse for strength.

Her talons took her to Tarsier's room, and she limped in, not even knocking, before she collapsed.

Azalea tried to open her eyes, but the blinding light made her screw them shut. Her head hurt, and her arm felt numb.

She reached up to touch her head, but instead there was cool cloth covering her forehead. Azalea tried to open her eyes again, the light still blinding.

"Don' try and open your eyes, dear. They seem to be glued shut." a female voice with a strong accent, one that rolled r's and didn't use too many t's, spoke, "You go' yourself in a terrible fix, ya'know."

Azalea stayed silent, moving her head back and forth to find this dragon.

There was rustling next to her and the dragon spoke again, "There is some gossip about how Tarsier carried you in here. I don' believe a word of i'. He cares a lo' about all of us." The nurse, Azalea guessed, dabbed her eyes, making Azalea flinch.

"Now, I know I am jus' a stranger, Bu' don' you worry, I'll ring for Tarsier, bu' we need to ge' this glue off your eyes." The nurse held Azalea's head still with a talon as she continued.

"Wait, there's glue on my eyes? Why?" Azalea's voice was cracked and raspy as Azalea reached up to her eyes.

"To keep them closed, dear. You kep' trying to open them, and you started to break them, but good ting I was here, eh?" The nurse's talons pushed Azalea's back, and Azalea heard her step back, "Now hold on, I need to turn on the lights"

The bright light through Azalea's eyelids faded, and she attemped to open them again.

Her eyes seemed to crack open like an egg, and she looked around the room.

Standing there, as the nurse, was Marlin.

 **Now, I can almost hear you screaming before I post this, "BUT THE NURSE IS FEMALE!!!" and to that I say, "HAVE PATIENCE I KNOW EHAT I'M DOING." XD**


	20. Finding a Frozen Heart

**HAPPY 20TH CHAPTER!!!**

Azalea shrieked, picking up the closest thing to throw.

"Wha's wrong?!" Marlin rushed over to Azalea.

As they got closer, Azalea noticed a pink scar on their snout, and that their scales were a few shades darker than Marlin's, and she was an IceWing with short, stubby spikes.

"I didn' mean to scare ya, you alrigh'?" The nurse asked.

"Yes, yes, sorry... You looked... Like someone else..." Azalea shook her head.

The nurse made a tsking noise, "I know dear." she went to Azalea's head, looking over it, "Yup. Your fever is gone. Good ting, it has been there for a week or two."

Just as she moved to her arm, a knock came at the door, and the nurse answered it right away, "Come on in, Tarsier."

The RainWing entered, his scales a clashing purple with hope and worry, and a creamy white with fear and anxiety.

When he saw Azalea, he visibly relaxed, "Parraya, how is she?"

"Good sir. I'll step ou' for a bi'." Parraya winked discreetly at Azalea.

Once the door shut behind her, Tarsier came over and slapped Azalea across the face, "WHAT IN PYRRHIA WHERE YOU THINKING?!"

"HEY!" she yelled, giving him a slap in return, "I WAS DOING WHAT _YOU_ ASKED!"

"I DIDN'T ASK YOU TO GO AND ALMOST DIE, THEN DRAG YOURSELF INTO MY OFFICE AND COLLAPSE!" he retorted.

"WHY ARE YOU SO MAD AT _ME!?"_ Azalea roared.

"I DON'T KNOW, LET'S STOP YELLING," Tarsier tried to to laugh.

"I KINDA LIKE THE YELLING!" Azalea yelled back.

They looked at each other, then burst out laughing. Azalea had never laughed this hard, and it made her sides hurt.

When they regained their demeanor, Tarsier spoke, "Sorry, I... didn't mean to do that." he said with a snicker.

"I have never laughed that much before. Anyway, what do you want?" Azalea tried to look impatient.

"You look like a dragon that swallowed a rotten mango. You have no where to go, don't act impatient." he took a deep breath, "Let me see your arm. Have you seen it yet?"

Azalea looked over at the bandage covering her arm. There was no sensation.

"I haven't. Should Parraya unwrap it?" Azalea asked.

"Nonsense. I can." Tarsier grabbed some scissors and cut down the middle.

When the bandage was removed, Azalea had to stop from gasping.

The tar had eaten through her scales, and her muscle seemed eaten away as well. It was clean and pink, which earned a soft sigh of relieve from Tarsier.

"So, what happened while I was out?" Azalea asked as Tarsier re-wrapped her wound.

"Well, in the last week or two-"

"Whoa, I've been out for _that_ long!?" Azalea's mouth gaped.

"Yes. Basically, we heard about Marlin's death. You didn't miss much." Tarsier finished up, "I'll be right back."

He left and got Parraya and came back into her room. Parraya came over and picked up Azalea's talon.

"Hm. No' bad Tarsier." she inspected his dressings before turning to him, "Well, she'll be ou' by nex' moon, bu' probably ready in abou'... Three weeks."

"Ok, well, I'll be back later. Get well soon Azalea." he gave her a smile and left.

"Tsk tsk, I should never doub' rumors." she turned to her equipment.

"Wait, what?" Azalea sat up more.

Parraya began to laugh, "Oh don' pretend. Tarsier has his eye on you."

Azalea's mouth gaped, and she wasn't quite sure if she was blushing or not, "I don't think so. So when can I move?"

"Does i' hurt?" Parraya asked.

"Not really." Azalea experimented moving her arm around.

"Then try." The nurse came over and offered her talon to help Azalea out of her bed.

Azalea tried to stand up, but after not moving for almost two weeks, her muscles failed her. She fell to the ground, and Parraya rushed to help her.

"No good. I'm not surprised. You'll need PT for a few days. Come on, le's get you ou' of this room." Parraya grapped a wheelchair from one of the corners. She eased Azalea into the chair and began to push her out.

Azalea sighed and leaned back into the chair.

 **Time skip after a week or two with Physical Therapy and that's about it.**

Azalea moved her muscles according to Parraya's example. She was getting stronger, she could push her own chair now.

"Now, let's get you up." Parraya stood up, "Try an' walk."

Azalea slowly got up, using the muscles developed in her arms ro boost her out. She closed her eyes, bracing for the impact of the ground, but when nothing happened, she opened her eyes to find herself staying upright.

She carefully stepped forward, but didn't fall. She looked up at Parraya and smiled, "Is this right?"

 _Three days later..._

"Duck! Okay, now swipe!" Parraya instructed Azalea during her battle with one of the guards.

Azalea was able to walk fully now, and was progressing faster. She could almost do everything she used to do. Including fighting.

She listened to the instructions of her nurse, which landed her a good move to pin the IceWing.

She took it, and had the guard pinned under her talons.

"Good job. Now get off meh!" the IceWing heaved and sent Azalea in the air.

Azalea sighed with a chuckle, "I have a feeling the guards don't like me." she said to Parraya as the guard strutted off the sparring grounds.

"Ah, he's an _IceWing_ dear, of course he is a mean fella." Parraya came over and put a friendly wing around her patient.

"But you're an IceWing." Azalea gave her a confused look, "Isn't that disrespectful?"

Parraya stepped away from her, "Don' ever call me one of _them!"_ she growled, her spikes rattling.

Azalea stepped back, "Whoa, I'm sorry... I didn't know!" she raised her talons non-threateningly.

Parraya sighed and tried to relax, "Sorry dear, I know ya don'."

"What happened?" Azalea asked with full curiosity, stalking infront of Parraya before settling on her haunches.

"Ever heard of _probrosious_ _scales?_ "

Azalea gasped, "Yeah, um, someone called me that when I was in Sanctuary, I think."

"Well, let me tell you a story abou' those scoundrels." Parraya settled onto the sand.

Azalea followed suit, excited to hear this old nurse's story.

 **WHOO So, probabaly half of the next chapter will be of Parraya's story, so stay tuned!**


	21. Parraya

**I'M BACK!** **I'm gonna tell Parraya's story like I did Tarsier's and there won't be an accent in the whole thing because that's annoying.**

It was a little over my seventh hatchday, and I was raised outside The Ice Kingdom, being a forbidden egg.

We lived near Sanctuary, but closer to the Rainforest. Anyway, my parents asked me to travel to the city to trade some of the wild berries that grew on our wall.

I entered through one of the side entrances, and immediately got noticed.

After a while, one IceWing with plain white scales grabbed me by the neck, and another grapped my wings and hauled me into the sky.

I screamed, but it was no use. The dragons below me laughed and watched as the IceWing clapped irons around my talons and took me to a stage.

I yelled for my mama, for my pa, for anyone to help me. I couldn't fight, I never learned how. I never was quite the fighter.

The IceWing told me to hush up, and I did as he said, afraid of what they would do to me if I didn't.

Then things got worse.

I heard drums begin to be played, increasing volume and tempo, I saw dragons whispering excitedly and pointing at me.

Then, everything stopped.

I strained to look behind me, and there stood an IceWing/NightWing hybrid, his colors seemingly cut down the middle, like two different dragons sewn together.

I noticed he had strange jewlery, it looked like dragon toes and scales. He came over to me, and his eyes were as black as night.

"My children!" he yelled, throwing his talons up as all the gathered dragons cheered and applauded, "Today, I see you found us another frivilous scale. Her spikes will make beautiful rings, and for those that showed her the way up here, you will earn a necklace."

The two IceWings that snatched her stepped forward, their heads bowed.

"Alright, bring forth the saw and file." He gestured to two gruesome-looking tools.

Just seeing them put me into a shiver. I knew what happend next. My spikes would be cut off, to use for their jewelry.

I was eerily calm, though my mind was screaming to run, hide, fight, anything that could save me.

Taking his saw, he began to hack at one of my spikes. The two IceWings from before held my head tight.

It didn't hurt at first, but then it felt as though I was being dipped in a volcano.

I screamed, but the IceWings snapped my mouth shut, stifling my cries.

I passed out about the second or third spike from the pain.

When I reopened my eyes, I saw the most handsome dragon ever.

His name was Stallion. We were quickly wed(her eyes started to get teary here). He loved me, and I loved him. That's the truth.

I had to be kept a secret from everyone so they couldn't use me to get to Stallion. Only him and Tarsier knew who I was.

The priest of Sanctuary was killed by Stallion when he saved me. He told me they often made runs to see if there was anyone being sacrificed.

My screams were enough to alert them from a mile away. Stallion and I were blessed with a tiny dragonet.

She was beautiful. We called her Humbleheart. That was before we were attacked.

A NightWing assassin sent from the Base attacked our family. I remember Stallion sheilding me and Humbleheart from him, fighting until his last breath.

I screamed, crying for Tarsier, Stallion, anybody. He wrenched Humbleheart from my talons, breaking her neck without a word, staring at me with expressionless eyes.

I began to have the same feeling as when my spikes were being cut off. I became eerily calm, then attacked.

I was about to be killed before Tarsier bursted into the room. The assassin, seeing he was cornered, fled into the night.

Tarsier helped me move past Stallion and Humbleheart. He taught me to put my heart elsewhere. Now I am a healer for him. Now, I give my life purpose.

 **Story End**

Parraya turned to Azalea, "You see now?"

Azalea gave Parraya a sympathetic look, "Wow... I would've never known."

Parraya laughed, "As long as you don' tell anyone else, we're good."

Azalea smiled as she picked herself up from the dirt, "Man, it seems you two are all about secrets."

"Yah. Tha's what friends are. Anything gnawing at you perchance? I don't know where ya came from." Parraya looked curious.

"Um..." Azalea rubbed the back of her neck.

A messenger saved Azalea from answering. It was the same light SandWing from before.

He gave her a letter and disappeared.

"Unusual." Parraya admitted, seeing the letter, "I haven' seen one of those for a long time."

Azalea unwrapped it to see a note:

 _It's me, Tarsier._

 _I need you to come in as soon as the messenger sees you standing. I have a mission that could change Pyrrhia! Hurry Lea!_

 _Ask someone with fire to burn it or venom this note._

It was scribbled, she could tell he wrote fast. She could almost see the excitement making his still talons sporatic.

"Go on then! Go see what he has! It'll be good!" Parraya pushed Azalea playfully over to the hallway.

Azalea hurried down the hallway, excitement making her heart pound.

She knocked and Tarsier let her in.

"So. What do you have to say?" Azalea sat down and looked at him eagerly, "I hope it's not anything too stupid."

"Okay, we can't talk now." he pulled a lever that dropped down metal all around the room, "Okay, _now_ we can. It's about your next mission... How's your acting?"

"Good? What does that have to do about the mission?" She asked.

Tarsier took a deep breath, "You will be in the Ice Kingdom to kill Queen Curium."

 **Not as good as a cliffhanger as I bargained on... Oh! I will be trying to update these daily the week of my year anniversary here on FFN! It's on Nov. 29, so prepare yourself for showers of 473-5**


	22. There's MORE?

**Update Schedule: Three chappies(counting this and last) will be released before Nov. 23(Thanksgiving)and, in celebration of my year-anniversary, will try and update everyday until November 29th(my fanfiction birthday), where 473-5 will end. Sad, but worth** **it too!! So** **be prepared!**

Azalea's jaw dropped, "WHAT!?"

"That's right!" Tarsier was dancing around the room, "You have to be incognito though."

"Wait, I'm still caught up on the fact I'm killing a ruler of the _FLIPPEN_ _ICE KINGDOM!_ " Azalea shouted.

"Calm Azalea." he said simply, "You will be told the details." he went to pat her arm before grabbing papers with his other talon, "Now, you will have to get that necklace upgraded for your disguise. It will be more complex and advanced, as you are her personal assistant, it will take some of your resilience away, just for the sake of you holding your tongue."

"What am I doing? Maybe if you told me the details I would be more ready." she gave him a glare.

"What would you like to know? And only 5 questions. After that you will be training." He held the papers close to his face.

"Where am I going, when am I leaving, What will I be doing, how will I kill her, how did you get me there?" Azalea counted of on her talons.

Tarsier started laughing.

"What? What's so funny?" Azalea looked at him indignantly.

"Oh nothing, I just wrote down the rive questions I knew you would ask, and now Parraya owes me 100 jewels! I got every single question right!" Tarsier wiped his eyes, regaining his demeanor, "Okay, so for the first question, the Ice Castle, you leave tomorrow at the crack of dawn, you will be following the Queen around until she trusts you enough to have you alone in her room as she conducts business, you must frame someone or skedaddle." he smiled at her, "Makes sense?"

"What about the last question?" Azalea crossed her arms.

"That is a question for another time. To give you a summary, it was very hard, and some kalators were killed." he smiled at her sadly, "That means you walk on a fine line. Something as simple as bowing too light can result in being beheaded."

Azalea felt a lump in her throat. She had seen and read how rigid the rules were, and now that she had to bow to them made her sick, "How will I know what to do?"

"You'll have to learn quite a bit of that IceWing culture from me and trust the disguise. It might take over your mind and save you from your overreactive tongue. Yes, it is animus-touched. So yeah, sorry about that." he opened a drawer and pulled out the necklace, ruff a slight red.

"Can I know the animus?" Azalea asked, "Can I trust them?"

Tarsier's entire body turned red, "Well of course you can! I mean, if I trust them, and you trust me and my judgement, then yes! Don't ask stupid questions!"

"Whoa! Okay, okay!" Azalea put her talons up innocently.

Tarsier's scales turned back to blue as he cleared his throat, "I'll see you tomorrow to help you learn about IceWing culture."

"Oh okay then. Bye." Azalea got up to leave, but Tarsier stopped her.

"Azalea..." he looked about to say something before turning red with a tinge of pink and admitting, "Don't be late."

Azalea left just as confused as ever. Something about Tarsier made her scales turn yellow with confusion.

She passed Parraya, who fell in beside her, "So, how did i' go?" she said excitedly.

"Um..." Azalea looked over at Parraya, "Surprising... and confusing. Do you know anything that would make Tarsier do this?" Azalea mirrored Tarsier's bright red with pink scales from earlier.

"Uh..." Parraya's ears went pink, "Yes... Bu' that' not something you need to know unless he tells you. That is something that I found ou' by acciden'. You're not getting anything from me." she added the last sentence hurriedly.

Azalea's scales turned an even more puzzling shade of yellow. Shaking her head, "You know, it doesn't matter. Would you help me train?"

"Sure!" Parraya answered a little to overjoyed with the change of subject.

 _A few moments later..._

Azalea picked up a dagger, "What do you think I'll use for the mission?" she inspected the steel surface.

"Hm..." Parraya answered, "Depends. Maybe after you practice, you wouldn' mind me teaching you some herbs?" she gave Azalea a hopeful look.

"What herbs? All I need to know potusberries and funis holus, right?" she gave her a wide smile.

Parraya looked less than amused, "Haha. You need to know more than tha'. After your throwin', we're goin." Parraya laughed at her own joke.

 _Thunk._ Azalea threw the dagger at the target, narrowly missing the outlined heart on the dragon target. Parraya clapped, Azalea nodded at her before continueing.

 _A few throwing knives later..._

"Well! Let's get a move on!" Parraya clapped her on the shoulder and led her with her wing hovering over Azalea.

Azalea allowed herself to be steered towards the hospital she spent two weeks inconsious in. When they entered, Parraya hurried to a giant curtain that covered an entire wall and yanked it back to reveal large, floor-to-ceiling filing cabinets made of a light oak.

Each one had different labels, and Azalea couldn't even comprehend what they said.

Parraya flew to one of the top drawers, it was obvious this was her personal supply, she seemed to know it so well as she hurried from drawer to drawer, pulling out seed packets and dried flower petals. Parraya then pulled out a metal case, dumping the contents of her talons into it, murmering things like, "Flos suminum... Ebrius Est..." as she busily arranged them in some kind of pattern.

"So," Parraya set down a book and the small metal case, "Let's start with the basics."

 **So yeah! Azalea will be taking Potion lessons from Parraya and IceWing stuff from Tarsier! Also, what is he hiding...?**


	23. Bring it on

**Where are you guys? I SWEAR there are more of you reading than you let known. Shoutout to Thepicduck for always reviewing!**

 **Also, this is** **will only be one snippet into each training, one with Parraya and one with Tarsier.**

"So, you wanna star' with this," Parraya picked up a extremely bright red leaf.

Azalea sighed, "What does it do?"

"Eat it and find ou'." Parraya offered it to her.

"No!" Azalea looked at Parraya like she was crazy.

Parraya laughed, "Oh I'm kidding, I'm kidding. this is called motus robur, and it makes whoever eats it crazy...

 _ **With Tarsier** :_

"No, head tilted, talons curled, tail around talons." Tarsier walked around Azalea's best IceWing Waiting Form, but was failing miserably, in Tarsier's opinion.

"UGH!" Azalea flopped to the floor, "THIS SUCKS,"

"Trust me, you'll need it. Now, BACK TO IWF!" he shouted.

Azalea got up and tried again. She felt something hit her tail, "OW! HEY WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" she yelled, pulling her tail closer

"Good. I _knew_ keeping this whip was a good idea." he brandished a small stick covered in leather.

"You're gonna _whip_ me!?" Azalea looked at him in shock.

"Hey, at least I'm not using the crystal whip." he gave her an indignant look, "IceWing ways of teaching work with IceWing ways of learning. So, I'm gonna enhance your experience by pretending you are a stubborn IceWing dragonet." he smiled.

"Well I never! I am _not_ some insolent _dragonet!_ " Azalea growled, "And if you whip me, so help me I'll-"

"You'll what, bite me? You seem to forget that we were an even match just a few weeks ago." he retorted.

"That's because _you_ quit!" Azalea growled.

"Fine." he threw the whip across the room, "Meet me out there in five minutes and see how the dust settles." he growled before storming out.

Azalea gave an exasperated sigh, _Here he goes again_.

 _Five minutes later..._

Tarsier and Azalea faced off, their scales a deep purple and dark maroon.

"You sure about this?" Tarsier taunted.

"Bring it on!" she yelled back, "Your best won't do!"

Azalea charged, and Tarsier dodged at the last moment. He came at her, his talons slashing. She in turned dodged with her tail out to trip him.

This attack-and-dodge went on for quite some time, and Azalea soon felt sweat as it rolled down her scales. She was pleased to see Tarsier looked the same way. Her muscles quivering, Azalea took a few deep breaths, her lungs burning.

"Are you done?" Tarsier smiled in that good-natured way.

Azalea sighed, "How did we get here?"

"Our own stubborness." he responded and offered her a talon as a sign of goodwill.

She took it, "I'm sorry. It's just-"

"No need for you to apologize, we both are at fault here." he still held her talon.

Azalea felt as though standing here with him gave her energy she could feel from snout to tail tip.

"Look who's interrupting who now," she gave him a sly smile.

Tarsier chuckled, then realized he still held her talon and turned a bright pink and red, "Sorry," he backed away.

Azalea felt her own scales warming, "No, no, you're fine." she said with an anxious laugh.

"Well I better get some sleep." she gave him an awkward smile, which he returned with an even more awkward smile.

They said goodbye, and Azalea left quickly. She was still blushing furiously, unable to keep the pink from her scales.

Her talons took her to Parraya's hospital area instead of her own room, and Parraya hurried over to her.

"Mmmmmmm!?!?!" she gave her a look much like the one she first gave her when Tarsier came up.

"What!?" she changed her rose scales to blue.

"I _saw you!_ " Parraya was practically skipping, "The ship has sailed!"

"Shush!" Azalea poked Parraya's nose, "Don't even begin to even."

Parraya looked ready to shoot rainbows out her ears, but she silently nodded, her nubby spikes quivering.

Just then, a SkyWing messenger came to Azalea and whispered, "Cumulous requests your presence immediately," he then grabbed Azalea's talon and pulled her into the hallway.

"Wait!" Azalea had the moment to shout before the SkyWing pulled her into another room with surprising strength.

Something gave Azalea the feeling this wasn't a messenger.

He closed the door, "Finally." his voice became deep and he flared his wings.

"Why hello, now what do you need?" Azalea had a bad feeing about this, but she knew to get information before attacking.

"I need your heart in my talons." he said simply, showing his sharp claws.

 _He's incredibly shallow for an assassin, for a dragon in general actually_ , Azalea smirked, "I don't think we have had the pleasure of meeting, you must not know who I am."

"Azalea: traitor to the Base, murderor, turncoat, and enemy. Kill on sight." he smiled at her, "That was in your folder." he turned just so the light shone on two black spots, one near his ear, the other in his neck scales.

"Excuse me, who are you again?" Azalea stood up straight, and flicked her tail in.

He hesitated but then gave her a murderous smile, "I guess it doesn't matter, I'll kill you anyway. I am Cumulous. The best assassin at the Base. I am here to kill you, then move on to your partner, Debris, though I've heard you murdered her yourself. So make this easy: Tell me where Debris is and I'll make your death painless."

Azalea began to laugh, both because she felt the incoming fight, but also to feel the familiar cruel and fierce bubbling of her soul. She felt her scales turn on, flashing like a bonfire. The feeling of a true fight, not having to keep her claws in and be careful, to be able to swipe with full power and cover the floor in red, gave her a feeling as though her heart became a roaring fire.

She chuckled before facing him, her eyes flickering purple flames, her snout curved in a ready smile, she said three words, common to her tongue,

"Bring it on."

 **Oooo looks who's gonna paint it black! Next up is me writing 7 chapters in a week. Hooray.**


	24. A True Friend

**:D Welcome to the first day of** **the seven day marathon!** **Happy Thanksgiving!**

Cumulous looked taken aback, his eyes filling with with fear before being drowned out with determination for occisio tempore.

Azalea lunged forward with a slash, but was immediately blocked and put on defensive. She dodged, his hard blows putting her against the wall.

 _He knows how to fight!_ she realized. _Of course he would, he learned from where I did._

Azalea got an idea. It was risky, but she was running out of options as she was pushed closer and closer to the wall.

Azalea backpedaled before she felt the wall beneath her backtalons. She flapped upward as fast as possible before speeding downward.

He was fast and strong, quite smart as well. He forced her into a small room where she couldn't fly up too high and there were no windows.

She streaked downward and wrestled him to the floor, holding both his front arms behind his back, holding them in such a way that if he struggled he would break his own elbows.

"So you win." Cumulous set his head down in defeat.

Azalea cocked her head, "Um. What?"

"I'm waiting. You should know." he shifted his wrist to point, but remembered Azalea pinning his arm, bringing Azalea's attention to a faint scar on his wrist.

It hit her like a burst of lightning. He was just like her, a doomed servant hoping to be released but instead of being forced into servitude, was forced to kill other dragons.

"Why isn't it working!?" Cumulous began to quake.

"Because. It isn't gonna kill-" she began to answer before he interrupted her with incessant blubbering.

"But I need-What do I need? I need to kill! I-I need to need to need to.." began to shiver violently, his large size rocking Azalea side to side.

 _...he went crazy..._ The conversation with Tarsier all those months ago came back to her. He must've not been able to kill for a while, and thought he would die, but isn't, and now is feeling the deadly withdrawal.

He was bubbling from the mouth now, almost screaming.

Her thoughts came together into a resolution and she acted.

 _Snap_

The crying came to a stop. The tension that made Cumulous rigid disappeared, his eyes becoming sightless cloudy orbs as the film of death set in.

The door opened just as she stepped away from his body.

"Azalea!" Parraya came over and hugged her and Azalea sat there awkwardly.

"You scared me half to death!" Parraya stepped away, then saw Cumulous' body and gasped, "Oh no..." she ran over to check for a pulse.

"Really Parraya, he was the enemy." Tarsier's voice echoed from the doorway as he stepped forward.

"How did you guys get in?" Azalea distinctly remembered Cumulous locking the door.

"Um..." Parraya looked at a now red Tarsier, before giving him an urging look.

He took a deep breath and stepped closer to Azalea, "There's something I need to tell you. I've bet you've already guessed it, but I'm something terrible. I'm an animus."

Azalea felt all the wind sucked out of her, _Of course. How did I not guess it? All animi are liars. I knew it._ She had never hurt like this before.

Tarsier's eyes were brimming with tears, "I'm sorry. I didn't want to be, I don't now. I haven't enchanted anything for a long time except for your necklace disguise."

Azalea turned away, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want you to judge me before you knew me. I really am sorry. I have been struggling with it ever since I learned after killing my dominus. Then... well..." his scales turned a brighter red than ever.

"THEN WHAT!?" Azalea roared in his face.

"Well..." his voice fell and he looked down, before looking at her again, "It doesn't matter does it? I made a terrible mistake, something that has troubled me since it happened..." he rubbed his forearm, where a nasty scar lay, too deep to seem earned in a scuffle, "But that's besides the point. We have a mission that can fix Pyrrhia, give dragonets a safe place to hatch into, and give kalators a new life. Please, Azalea. I didn't want to lie to you. I... want you to succeed. Will you still trust me and help me?"

Azalea looked into his green eyes, shining with hope and something else as she looked back, "I will," he relaxed, but she poked his snout with a sharp talon, "But you better _never lie to me again_. Or I will _personally_ gut you. I hate secrets almost as much as domini."

He pushed her talon away, "I promise. I really didn't mean to lie. I was just..." he rubbed his neck with the scarred arm.

Parraya stood up and walked over to Azalea, "We appreciate your choice."

Azalea smiled at her, then looked over at Cumulous' limp body, "What do we do with him?"

"Meh. I'll deal with that later." Tarsier suddenly looked very tired, "I need to hit the hay." he rubbed his temples before looking over at her, "You're okay to be released tomorrow, right?"

"Yes! You mean I'm ready?" Azalea jumped up.

"Well, you killed a SkyWing and seem it not bother you. I think you're ready. See me tomorrow for some intel and pep talk." he gave her a grin, said his goodbyes, and left.

Once he left, Parraya whirled around and glared at Azalea, "Why did you kill him!?"

Azalea was surprised by Parraya's angry look, "Um, well you see-"

Parraya grabbed Azalea by the wing and pulled her into the hospital wing, "We are coming in here for your poison tes' and to talk abou' your crime." she released Azalea and grabbed a table.

"Why are we doing this?" Azalea asked, slightly freaked out but bored.

"I want to know what made you think killing that innocent dragon was okay!" Parraya growled.

"Well if you want to know the truth..." Azalea began.

 **Get ready for an update tomorrow! In advance, sorry if I forget to upload one day, I'll catch up.** **I have completely underprepared, but I CAN DO IT!!!!**


	25. I need help naming this XD

**Second Day! Oh I was reading through the reviews, and Guest that kept correcting my grammar? Shut up. I'm not perfect and I am typing best I can. So shut your mouth and enjoy the story, not correcting me on how to spell murderer. I needed to get that out, sorry everyone.**

"Well?" Parraya gave her an impatient frown.

"I don't understand why you are so angry!" Azalea growled, starting to feed off Parraya's agitation.

Parraya sat back, "Just tell me _how_ you could kill an innocent-"

"Innocent? _Innocent!?_ You forget he tried to kill me!" Azalea shouted.

The fighting ensued from there, and each seemed perfectly practiced in the art of comebacks. Soon, the racket was so bad, Tarsier came stomping down.

"Dragonesses!" he shouted, both of them looked over at him, "What on earth are you fighting about?!"

"She _killed_ someone Tarsier!!" Parraya shouted.

"She forgets _it's my job!_ " Azalea shouted back.

Tarsier looked ticked beyond compare, "Do I really have to moderate?"

"Maybe!"

"No!"

Parraya and Azalea spoke at the same time, then growled at each other.

"What do you want Azalea?" Tarsier asked, his scales a dark mahogany.

"I want her to stop insulting me!" Azalea cried.

Tarsier looked over at Parraya, who got the hint and began, "I wan' to know where your fortitude comes from to kill a dragon." she quieted.

"Oh..." Azalea understood, "Sorry. I-I thought you were insulting everything I stand for."

"Well? Is that all sorted out? Can you not wake up the entire complex?" Tarsier sat with his arms crossed.

Parraya's scales began to redden slightly, "Um... yeah, sorry Tarsier..."

Azalea snickered, "Thanks Tar."

Tarsier's blue-black of fatigue was interrupted with a flash of pink, "Sleep well Lea. You're released tomorrow."

The word sent a jolt through her, before realizing what he meant.

Parraya cleared her throat behind her, "Sorry about my overreaction. Well, see you tomorrow."

As she left, Azalea spoke, "You know, I saw myself in those eyes."

"What?" Parraya looked back at her.

"That's why I killed him. I knew how it was for me, and I wanted to be released, unusable and thrown away instead of being forced into servitude. But I was forced into this instead," she growled in disgust, "He was hoping an easy death. Not so fast in reality."

Parraya sighed and lowered her head, "Wow. I went through nothing compared to you. I should be fine."

Azalea chuckled, "Meh. We all get what we struggle with. I would have not been able to handle some dragon cult harvesting my spikes for accessories."

Parraya returned with a dry laugh, "You're right," her eyes grew watery, "Tarsier's been through more than you imagine. I don't even know all of it. But it's bad, Azalea. It might make you hate him. A lot. Just... don't ever break." she smiled.

"I'd like to see someone break me," she said with a determined smile.

"Goodnight Azalea." Parraya turned and left.

Azalea sighed and headed off to bed.

 _The next morning..._

Azalea looked at the rising sun drowsily. It felt as though she blinked and the sun was up. Just as she rolled over to sleep, somedragon entered her room and made a racket.

"Up up! It's time for some tests!" A familiar voice shouted from the doorway.

"Tarsier, go away..." Azalea groaned.

She heard a clang of metal, and then her whole head was wet. She jumped up in surprise, "HEY! WHAT IN PYRRHIA!?" she roared.

She growled and sat up, opening her eyes to see a smug Tarsier holding a bucket.

"Morning sunshine! Pyrrhia says hello!" Tarsier said in a singsong voice.

"CAN YOU NOT THROW WATER ON ME!?" Azalea yelled.

"That's the spirit!" he smiled at her, "Now get up and go see Parraya."

"FINE," Azalea groaned and crawled out of bed.

She made her way down to the hospital room to be greeted by Parraya, who was mixing something in a black container.

"What you doing?" Azalea asked.

"Making a Surgit drink," Parraya replied through a yawn, "Want some?"

"Sure, what is it?" Azalea sat down at the table, which was covered in cups.

"It helps wake you up and give you energy," she explained as she poured some into a cup for Azalea.

"Mm.." Azalea mumbled as she drank. Instantly a cold sensation filled her senses, power seemed to seep into her talons, "That's some fast-acting stuff." she remarked.

"Yep!" Parraya was back into her energized self, "Let's get started."

They started with Azalea telling Parraya what each herb was and it's effects. Then, the cups were each filled with a fruit juice with some type of poison in it except for one, which Azalea must choose and drink.

She carefully moved among the cups, sniffing and looking at the color intently.

She sighed, having three cups selected. One seemed to have a fresh grass or meadow smell, which made Azalea skeptical.

The other two weren't much better. One smelled strongly of oranges, and the other one seemed minty.

She sighed, and faced Parraya, "None of them,"

"Good job!" Parraya smiled and patted Azalea's shoulder, "Now go on! See you at the release!"

Azalea felt very accomplished and made her way down the halls, but she saw Tarsier down the hall.

"Tarsier?" She said loud enough for him to hear.

"Azalea!" he ran up to her, "We need to get going."

He hovered his wing over her, ushering her on, "What's going on?" she asked.

"Curium wants you there now. We need you on your way immediately." Tarsier ushered her into the office.

"Does Parraya know?" Azalea asked.

"She will." he stopped somedragon in the hallway, "You're a messenger, right?"

"Yes Tarsier sir!" He responded.

"Okay, then what is the messenger code for your name?" He gave the messenger a searching look.

"4574-2" he responded without hesitating.

"Good. Now find the IceWing head nurse and tell her, "Lea is leaving, come asap."

"Yes sir!" he saluted before leaving as fast as possible.

"Good. Now hurry."

 **That's a good way to end, right? RIGHT!?!?**


	26. Goodbye

**Third day! Four days left!**

"Why does Curium need me _now_?" Azalea asked as she kept up beside him.

"She decided that her substitute sidedragon wasn't good enough so she threw a hissy fit and we need before she gets too angry." he answered quickly.

Azalea pieced it together just as Parraya appeared puffing behind them and they came to a halt at Tarsier's door.

"How did you get here so fast?" Azalea looked over at her friend.

"I was on my way to ask Tarsier if I could collec' some herbs, and then that messenger caught me and I hurried." she responded between breathes.

"Ah, good. Now Azalea, I have to explain this to you," he opened the door and the three settled in, "I enchanted this special necklace so you become Aconite."

"Aconite?" Azalea loved the sound of the name, and how easy it rolled off her tongue.

"The IceWing. It took me _weeks_ to plan out the entire enchantment, and the name took ages. Aconite is a type of buttercup," he snickered at Azalea's angry look of being named buttercup, "But it is extremely deadly. So I thought it was perfect. Deadly and pre-" he cut himself off and cleared his throat, "I get to come with you, and I'm Fractal. Don't address me as Tarsier."

Azalea nodded and he pulled out a stunning ice crystal necklace. She gasped as he set the glimmering necklace on the table.

"This necklace is also your cover. Everydragon will know you are righthand dragon to the Queen," he looked at her worriedly before picking it up, "Put this on, and tell me how you feel."

Azalea took it from him, marvelling at how fine and dainty the chain was, and how purple and blue the crystals were.

She settled it around her neck, and felt instantly like a new dragon. Her mind was filled with new information, and she didn't feel as rebellious as usual. Her scales felt like smooth and cold stones.

"So?" She looked over to see a very red and pink Tarsier.

"I feel-" her voice was the same pitch, but had an elegance only known to court dragons, "I feel different. Like, I'm here, but I'm also something different," before she could stop herself, "How do I look?"

Tarsier started laughing uncontrollably, "I did it!" he recovered before looking back up at her, "Aconite is a sweet dragon that has brilliant court appeal. She has backbone though, and will stand up when necessary. She has manners though, and hates snobs."

"Azalea!" Parraya ran forward, "Look at your beautiful scales!" she picked up Azalea's now-serrated claws, "We could be kin!"

Azalea saw that her scales had a light yellow shadow, making her look incredibly bright.

"Can I have a mirror?" her voice asked.

"Here," Tarsier handed her one from his desk, "We really need to get going." he began rummaging in his desk.

Taking the mirror up to reflect her face, she saw her purple eyes reflected back at her, but instead of psycadelic scales and ruff, she saw long horns and diamond-shaped scales running from her nostrils to her horns.

Tarsier snatched it from her, "Okay let's go Aconite." he held up a thicker metal chain with a drop of snowy amber before dropping it over his own neck. His scales rippled to reveal a large blueish IceWing with grey streaks running from snout to tailtip.

He began to open the door before pulling off his necklace, "It'll look weird if we come out as IceWings. Take it off and let's go."

Azalea obeyed and the three hurried through the hallway.

When they exited the building, Tarsier restored the necklace and motioned for Azalea to do the same.

She did as she was told, and immediately felt like someone new.

"Don' do anything stupid!" Parraya said as she hugged Aconite, "I don' wan' anything to happen!"

Aconite smiled at her, "Of course. I'll return safely." Azalea internally screamed at the instant formallity

"Wow. I really outdid myself." Tarsier chuckled as he became Fractal, "Come Aconite."

"Yes sir." her mind told her that blue IceWing was her trainer, nothing else, but Azalea's part told her it was Tarsier.

They took off, Parraya waving excitedly from the ground. Fractal led the way, looking back here and there to make sure she was following him.

"Are you ready?" He asked as they skimmed the clouds above.

"Possibly. I don't feel ready, but I know I am." she responded.

"Funny. I never knew that I would be able to get the best assassin in the field I have seen to take out the Queen." he smiled, his green eyes crinkling.

"Best assassin? I've only killed two to three... to four... maybe five..." she trailed off.

"Exactly. I have a close eye on most assassins to know what they are up to. That old friend Debris? She's happily settled down, expecting eggs of her own." he told her.

"Isn't she only, like 8?" Aconite asked.

"That would mean you're 5. She's almost 11."

Aconite gasped, "How old _am_ I?"

He snickered, "You're kidding. You're almost 9."

"Time flies." Aconite said calmly. Azalea won this battle though, "WHY AM I SO AGGRAVATINGLY RESPECTFUL!?"

"That's how it was enchanted. To help you gain a bit of control. Don't worry, just play it cool," he looked down, "We need to land. You're needed across the Great Ice Cliff right away."

Aconite looked down to see the land turning from brown and green to white, and just ahead she could see the famed Great Ice Cliff, which looked overused and worn down.

They landed near the cliff, where a small party was waiting for them.

A large IceWing, seeming to be the head of the group, came to her and circled her, "So you're Aconite. No time for questions, we need to get you to the Queen immediately. Say your goodbyes to your trainer and get a move on." he said gruffly before turning to the others. The wind whippes fiercely around them.

"Well, don't anything stupid, I've worked too hard." Tarsier looked as though he had much more to say, but couldn't.

She nodded as the other IceWings introduced themselves before they took off into the wild wind.

As Aconite took off, she thought she heard one last thing before the freezing gale ripped it away.

"Good luck, Azalea."

 **Well, four more chapters, four more days. I must admit, I wish there was more of you to this marathon.**


	27. To be Accepted

**SORRY I MISSED DAYS, BUT I'M BACK** **AND THINGS BEGIN TO ESCALATE. (don't know why there is so much caps XD)**

Aconite looked around the group that surrounded her. Two seemed to be warriors, judging by their scars and wariness not just to her, but to the others around them.

Two were diplomats, talking to each other about this and that, being very exclusive, whispering about her and her jewelry and what rankings their dragonets were at. They made Aconite angry quickly.

The lead seemed to take it all in, but be silent and watchful. The warriors openly respected him, heads bowed and tails curled in perfect curls when he approached. The diplomats simply turned their heads up but silenced when spoken to.

"We are nearing the cliff. Stay in formation and stay silent." the lead hissed.

The warriors nodded respectively and stayed on either side of Aconite, while the court dragons eyed him angrily but moved behind Aconite and whispered.

As they approached, two IceWings holding glimmering steel spears flew up to the leader.

"What is your business here Captain Gelid?" one said as the other murnered apologies and something as it was necessary to stop him.

"I am escorting the new adiutrix to the Queen. I am the leader of this group. Two dragons from court, Ducissa Rimy and Ducissa Wintry, and also two members of the guard, Frigid and Verglas." he said with stunning formality.

"Yes sir. Sorry for the interruption. Please, continue your journey." one murmered and they both saluted before flying back down to the wall.

"Let's get a move on. I want to be there by sundown." he hurried his pace and crossed the large wall.

Aconite followed, and they flew.

 _This is incredibly_ _borin_ _g._ Aconite thought to herself, wanting nothing more but to go back to the compound with Parraya and Tarsier.

She held onto a daydream of returning with Curium dead and everything was good again. Parraya was dancing and Tarsier's face shone with pride.

She smiled at him, loving the feel of her own scales. Azalea seemed like a distant memory.

Aconite took the reins and cleared the daydream to alert her to not run into Captain Gelid as they landed near the huge cluster of chisled ice spikes that was the IceWing Palace.

Captain Gelid faced her, "I ask you to follow behind me, and not get distracted. I will present you to the Queen and she will see if you are worthy."

Azalea's side was confused, but Aconite knew what to say, "Thank you Captain. I will follow. Thank you for escorting me safely here as well." Aconite's tail curled gracefully and her wings tilted respectfully.

She thanked her guards, but the snobs had already flown off, which didn't hurt her feelings one bit.

Aconite followed the captain as he made his way up to the castle. It looked as though it was made of glass.

The hallways were quiet except for the few nobles out or a kalator here or there. Aconite memorized every single step of the way before they reached two glass doors.

"We are about to enter the Queen's throne room," he said before taking a deep breath and pushing the doors open.

Inside, the walls were lined with nobles looking down at her, admiring their or someone else's jewelry, or whispering to each other. She noticed the Queen sitting on a polished throne, her talons clacking on the surface impatiently.

 _Quite the entrance._ she thought, trying not to smile.

"Well. Thank you Gelid. You may go." she waved her talons, which to Aconite's surprise, had no rings or jewelry.

However, next to her, the princess was wearing every type and shape of diamond known to dragonkind. She looked like a fancy chandelier but with scales.

Gelid bowed and left. Aconite stepped forward, confidently, but humbly.

"Your Majesty," Aconite bowed.

Curium raised her eyebrow slightly before nodding, "Welcome, Aconite. Please, do not bother with such formalities."

She seemed bored, but underneath that disinterested tone, she heard a note of interest at her arrival.

"Yes, your highness." Aconite got up from her bow and sat in the IWF position that came first to Aconite.

"Now, are you sure you know what your new role means? You are the first IceWing to come from out-of-kingdom to become my adiutrix." she set her claws out so the serrated side showed to Aconite.

"Yes, your majesty, I am perfectly aware and content to your demands, and await your decision to accept me." Aconite said. _Wow_ _Tarsier! I underestimated what animus pwer can do!_ Azalea thought as Aconite glided through formalities. It was like watching a play; everything unfolded into her talons like magic.

"You are more civilized than I thought," the queen mused, "I will accept you on one condition," she got real close so no one except Aconite could hear her, "You tell me everything that happens in the castle that you know about. Every sneer, every smirk, and every piece of gossip. Got it?"

"Of course, your majesty." Aconite said. She had a bit of a panic attack, since she saw something in Curium's gaze that bore past Aconite's disguise.

"Good," she stood up straight and with a booming voice announced, "I have hereby accepted Aconite as my adiutrix. May her time be bountiful and dutiful."

Aconite's ears met with the sound of a thousand wings and talons clapping in respect and acceptance.

Next thing she knew, Gelid was showing her to the adiutrix suite and bid her goodbye, telling her to be at the throne room by sunrise, and not to be late.

The room was luxurious, each pillow was made of silk with gold lining, and some seemed to have diamonds at one time, but are barren now.

She thought of how decorated the princess was and almost laughed at the thought of the princess sneaking in and plucking out all the diamonds to put them all over herself.

She settled onto the silk bed, finding the rich material uncomfortable. It was a long time before she found a comfortable place to lay.

Her last thought was of Tarsier, and hoping he missed her too.

 **NO CHANCE, NO WAY I WONT SAY IM IN LOOOOOOVVVEEE**


	28. Action

Aconite rose, immediately remembering the events of yesterday. She pulled open the curtains to see the sun's first rays peek over the horizon. She still had time.

She rushed to the door before Tarsier's spell made her go back and rub snow on her scales to polish before meeting with the Queen.

She reached the throne room quickly, somehow finding it out of the thousands of rooms in the castle.

 **Tibits of her week or two of serving as the Queen's unpaid intern! This means a separation:** _Later..._

"What is the schedule, Aconite?" Curium muttered as she paced the room.

"You have to meet at the Achademy, the princess wanted to meet with you, and the captain overseeing the wall would like to talk about the recent breach made by the SkyWings." Aconite teetered with too many scrolls to count in her arms.

"Ugh. Well, we also are planning the gala, so let's get started." the Queen sighed and made her way out the only port on the throne room, which was heavily guarded.

Aconite followed, grunting in irritation.

 _Later..._

Aconite went to bed late, as usual. The three moons seemed to stare at her, mocking and sneering with their waning crescents.

Her scales haven't been straight for a long time, and her mind was buzzing with the Queen's business.

The Winter Gala was stupid, overworking Aconite and making Azalea want to throw off the necklace and tackle the Queen.

Soon, she would be free. She could almost taste the moment she would be alone with the Queen and slit her throat.

It would be in the coming weeks, she could feel it. The Gala was making Curium more and more exhausted, each dragon from ice sculpters and flower arrangers wanted the Queen's approval.

To make matters worse, there was a breach of security at the wall, sending the outer two circles into a state of panic.

The spies reported that Princess Flurry, the SkyWing princess was leading, and was a natural. She had been working with the battalion for almost a month, and were a force to be reckoned with.

She hated this. She hated everything. If it was her choice, she would end her suffering by killing the Queen now.

She could feel the time coming closer, but for now, only dreams of being back at the compound and Curium dead were all that kept her going.

She heard a knock at the door, and tried to ruffly straighten her scales as she answered.

A quivering messenger with big eyes held a message in his talons, "From her highness." he bowed, gave the scroll to her, and hurried away.

Closing the door before groaning, she unrolled the message. It read:

 _Tomorrow there is a hearing for the turnscale Fragmentize. Be early tomorrow to take minutes._

Aconite lost it and threw the scroll across the room. She rubbed her eyes, too exhausted to care.

She got up and laid in the soft bed, falling quickly into a deep sleep.

 _The next morning._

Aconite woke to the sun, quickly rubbing snow on her scales and hurrying to the throne room.

She entered, holding three or four blank scrolls under her wing, "I'm here, your highness."

"Good. Now, come here as the prisoner enters. We'll get this over fast." Curium flicked her tail to the right hand side of her throne.

Aconite hurried over to her spot and pulled out the first scroll as the prisoner entered.

It was _him._ The IceWing from Sanctuary. Aconite almost dropped her scroll. He was covered in chains, his face drawn up in a snarl as he hissed at the guards holding his tethers.

"My Queen, question?" Aconite asked, fearing Fragmentize's searching gaze would see right through her.

"Yes, Aconite?" Curium looked down at her.

"Why are you at the court proceedings, don't the First and Second Circles deal with it?" Aconite asked, using the information implanted in her disguise.

"Yes, however, Fragmentize was the highest general and led many away into the foolish ways of the directus scales." Curium waved her hand to end the conversation as she stood and nodded to the herald.

"Announcing Fragmentize, accused of treachery and running from his post. Queen Curium is prime judge." he announced as the defendant and the prosecutor stood. She didn't recognize the defendant, but Captain Gelid was the latter.

"Let's get this over with." Curium set her head in her talons and motioned to the prosecutor.

Just as Gelid stood, Fragmentize looked straight at her, his steely blue eyes boring into her. They looked bloodshot, possibly from the chains.

Aconite tried to look down and away, but kept glancing at him nervously.

The court went as expected. Boring. Aconite found the only things that kept her awake were the Queen sometimes peeking to make sure she wrote it just so and Fragmentize staring.

"Aconite, read back Gelid's notes please." Curium's voice brought her back to reality.

"Oh, of course my Queen." she began to read.

As though if on cue, Fragmentize tried to make his escape. Whipping the chains that weighed down his talons like whips, he disabled his captors. Some lay grasping their wounds, but one laid motionless, his wing and arm broken at a strange angle.

He roared and ran towards the Queen. Captain Gelid jumped into action as Fragmentize leapt toward her.

Aconite made a move to stop him, but he landed on top of her, not the Queen.

"YOU!!! I KNOW WHO YOU ARE!! YOU!!!" he roared, spraying her in spit, "YOU GOT ME HERE!!"

Suddenly his weight was lifted off of her, Gelid pulling on his chains and yelling for the guards to get back in formation.

Fragmentize still struggled, his eyes bulging as he tried to get to her. Curium sat in interest, not moving an inch.

Gelid was losing grip. Aconite knew what she needed to do. Looking at the Queen, who seemed to know exactly what was going down, nodded.

Aconite leaped forward, but instead of going for her, turned onto Gelid. Aconite threw herself into the fray, Azalea's mind took over the deal as she threw him to the floor. Her muscles were a bit thinner in Aconite's form, but still were effective.

She pinned him down and looked to the Queen, "Shall I?"

Curium glided over to her, "Fragmentize, I sentence you to death because of your actions proving you guilty in this court today. Too bad," she gave him a malicious smile, "I thought you were innocent. Snap his neck."

"Yes, your majesty." Aconite bowed and killed him.

 _WHOOOO! That's what I needed._ Aconite thought. The action made this mission much better.

 **So sorry I didn't finish the marathon... Life picked up and didn't give me time. Hope for it finished by Christmas!**


	29. Finally

**Expect to see 473-5 in this years' Christmas Stories!**

"Aconite," Curium approached her as she stepped away from the body.

"Yes, your majesty." Aconite bowed again.

"You will be coming with me to discuss the recent times this evening. You have surpassed your trial period and now will have the suite next to mine. This means you are up when the moons are out, you wake and sleep when I do." She explained.

"Thank you, your highness." Aconite said gratefully.

Aconite looked into the mirror when she went to wash off her talons.

 _How did he recognize me?_ she thought as she looked for any similarities between her SeaWing form and IceWing form.

She looked at each scale before she stared at herself. It hit her. Her eyes.

In every form, her eyes stayed the deep purple, and now that she thought about it, Tarsier's eyes also stayed the same.

 _Hm... I'll have to ask him_. she took a mental note and hurried to the Queen's side for her daily work

The day seemed a bit longer than usual, but that didn't matter to Aconite. Tonight was the time she could kill the Queen she hoped.

The entire day she thought of different ways to assassinate her. From smother to poison, she couldn't decide.

Finally, she was shown to her new rooms, one door away from the Queen's chambers.

Excitement seemed to make each talonstep lighter. Something kept clicking back in her mind, and every dragon she saw seemed someone that she could kill.

 _It's that dreaded ocissio tempore_ , she tried to push it away as the Queen bid her goodbye and went to bed herself.

Her nerves were on fire. She was looking for a weapon when she lifted up the rug to find a red stain and a shard of broken glass.

 _This... this is..._ Getting up and looking around the room she realized with a start this was the same room she killed Northwind.

With a pang, she remembered that Debris was so distant, and she would never get another chance to have a partner.

 _What about Tarsier?_ Some part of her mind piped up. Those thoughts were too complicated to think about before a murder.

Now the question was to kill as Aconite or Azalea. She would have camoflage, but it would be interesting to see if she could be stealthy enough.

She decided to stay Aconite because if anything went wrong, she would just be exiled, not killed.

She snuck into the connector, where a messenger was sleeping. Deciding not to kill him, she moved the messenger into her room so they wouldn't hear anything.

Aconite slowly opened the door to the dark room of Curium. She could roughly see her shape on the bed.

The room was the picture of elegance, with on large stained-glass window covering half of the far wall.

Just as Aconite opened the door, it slammed shut and jammed. Blaming the wind, she continued forward.

Aconite turned to look at the sleeping Queen. Instead of seeing an asleep ruler, she saw two blue eyes looking up at her.

"Ah, Aconite." Curium rose from the bed.

"Y-Yes your majesty?" Aconite bowed.

"Oh get to the point Aconite. Or should I say, 473-5!" Curium ripped off the fine necklace and instantly Azalea felt a chill.

"Well well, this is very interesting." Curium rose from the bed smiling maliciously at Azalea's confused form.

"How did you know?" Azalea backed up, thouroughly confused.

"Really, I'm insulted. You think I don't notice my adiutrix never taking off their necklace, and the Base never forgets it's numbers." she flared her wings, "Now I thought of calling my troops, but like you I haven't killed for a while, and it would feel good. You understand, don't you?" her snarl frightened Azalea to the core.

 _Wait...She's playing with her food!_ Azalea realized _, The fear is to make it easier for her. I am not afraid._ She straightened and growled, "Bring it on,"

"Hm. Now, a few questions," Curium shot forward to slice Azalea's wing.

Azalea dodged and dipped, feeling the cold floor on her belly. Wincing upward, Curium threw across the room.

 _What has happened?_ Azalea looked at her talons as she struggled up from the floor.

"So, you must be sent by someone else," she put her talons under her chin mocking thought, "I'm thinking about one RainWing I knew quite a _long_ time ago... What was his name?"

Azalea dashed forward, landing a gash in a wing membrane of the Queen about the size of a beetle. _She's fast!_ Azalea thought as she tried to stop skidding on the ice.

"Ah yes, you are quite the adept fighter, but I have some... unique power on my talons." Curium stroke as fast as a snake and grabbed Azalea around the neck, her class digging into her scales.

She ran her talon over Azalea's communication device to Tarsier, "Hm. I never knew he could do this type of work."

Azalea struggled before biting the Queen's wrist. A cheap move, but better than dead.

Wincing, she released Azalea and rubbed her wrist. "You must care deeply for him if you would go into danger for him." she gasped at the end.

Azalea looked at her wrist to see two black lines that seemed to be burning through the Queen's scales.

"You don't know anything about me." Azalea drew herself up, "Not even about Tarsier."

"Why you little-!" Curium lunged forward to attack and Azalea moved like lightning and on top of her.

"You don't know who I am. You will never know." she growled before cutting her throat.

Azalea got up, exhausted from the fight. She had small cuts all over her, and her neck felt awful. Not to mention how _freezing_ it was.

Just as she headed for her now-broken necklace, the large window shattered as a dragon broke through.

"Azalea!" she heard a yell and Tarsier was there and rushed forward to give her a hug, "Are you alright? I thought I lost you!" he hugged her, his warm scales touching hers.

Azalea sat for a second before hugging him back. Finally she felt why she stayed.

Then her body gave up on her, and she faded to black.

 **TARZALEA IS NOW CONFIRMED!! *fireworks everywhere* Now for some Exposition!!**


	30. Something Special

**Last chapter...**

Azalea couldn't open her eyes. Her limbs felt stiff but she didn't feel the cold anymore.

She felt something touch her lip, "Drink this, trus' me." a voice urged.

Recognizing Parraya's accent, Azalea obliged as the cabbage-tasting mixture flooded her mouth.

Azalea pried her eyes open, immediately regretting it. The light seemed to flood into her brain.

"Oops, sorry, let me turn that down." Parraya turned down the lights so Azalea could open her eyes.

She was in the hospital. Again. She looked at her arms to see that they were tightly bound, and so was the rest of her body except for her ling area so she could breathe.

"What's this for?" Azalea pointed at the bandages.

"You were thrashing, and you bruised yourself. Also for security. You seemed, well, tense." Parraya looked down, "We were really worried abou' you. Especially Tarsier. He almost used his magic to heal you."

Azalea looked down, "So he really does care about me." she looked at Parraya, "What happened?"

"We found you over Curium's dead body, your eyes were hollow and sunken and your muscles were gone, it was a miracle you survived the cold for more than a minute." Parraya's eyes became searching, "You mus' have something more special than ever to defeat someone like Curium."

"How did I survive? It must have taken weeks to deplete my muscles." Azalea reasoned.

"Talk to Tarsier," she picked up her supplies, "But not today. You need to stay in bed and get at least 20 pounds back."

"Ugh." Azalea groaned as she slumped onto the bed.

She didn't have to wait long until Tarsier came in himself, holding a small package wrapped in gold paper.

"Azalea? You awake?" he whispered, his scales a milky white and blue

"Yes, you big lymphatus frog." she smiled. It was hard to keep the pink down.

Tarsier chuckled, "Well, I heard that you wanted to talk to me, and I feel like I should come to you,"

"Well yes," she thought for a moment, "Do I ask questions? Or do you tell me?"

"Wow, you're actually asking me? What did you do with the real Azalea?" he smiled at her, "Tell me what you want to know."

Azalea squinted in thought, "How did you know when to come save me? And, well, everything."

"I knew when to come save you because I enchanted the necklace to tell me when you were in trouble, and I got a pretty bad tremor, so I started over in IceWing form, but it got stronger and stronger, so I broke in and saw you and Curium. We think she put a spell to affect you when you were 473-5, but it didn't affect you until your true form was back, then it caught up with you," he looked down, and a single tear went down his snout, "I-I wish I didn't send you to clean up my mess."

"What do you mean?" she felt a pang of sorrow as she saw him so beaten down.

Tarsier turned bright red, "I've... done a lot wrong in my past... and I... well..." he itched the large scar on his forearm.

Azalea found herself hugging him, "I can't believe I am saying this, but, when you hugged me back there, I felt complete. No matter what you did, I'll still lo- accept you who you are today."

"Seriously, what did you do with Azalea?" he sniffed, "She would never say such sentimental things,"

They hugged for a while before Parraya came in and told Tarsier to leave so she could get some rest.

"Your body is so worn, both mentally and physically, you'll need a week to recover." she said before closing the door and shutting off the lights.

Azalea had peaceful dreams that night.

 _A week later_...

Azalea could finally move around, and she was now training with Tarsier under Parraya's watchful eye.

But now, she was getting lectured by Tarsier about what happened and why it happened.

"For potusberry's sake, Tarsier, I was there!" she groaned.

"Well, I know, but just making sure." he turned a bit pink, as he had each time he saw her or when she talked.

"Now for the important question, Why did you hug me?" she had been trying to ask him, but couldn't gather the courage until now.

He turned a brilliant shade of carnation, "I-I..." then he turned an even more impressive shade of pink and red, "I... I was really worried, and I um..." he looked up at her, "Can I tell you something?"

Pleased, excited, and curious about what he was going to say, she nodded, "Of course... but I'm afraid I have something to say to."

"Ok, well, I did... something _really_ bad when I was a dragonet. I really don't wanna talk about it, but I feel responsible for your past, but... you make me feel... different." he turned a lighter shade, "Like a dragonet again. I just wanted to say, I-I think I love you." he almost mumbled the last part at the speed of light.

Azalea felt such a rush of emotions. She felt happy, confused, excited, and... well she didn't know.

"I want to say something to," she tried to keep the strawberry color from rising to her scales. Tarsier shut his eyes and clamped his fists, preparing for a burn, "I think I love you too." she said as she pecked his cheek.

He relaxed and looked at her, "Wait, does that mean-?"

All of the sudden Parraya burst in and wrapped them both in a group hug, "I knew it! _I knew it_!" she smiled so big Azalea thought her face would split, "Also, stop being awkward, you're making everyone uncomfortable." she released them.

Tarsier rubbed his neck self-consciously, "Um... So Azalea, wanna go spar?"

Azalea smiled and set her tail out, "Of course,"

Tarsier twined his tail around hers, in a quite awkward fashion, "I hope this is right,"

Azalea tried to twine again, "Um... I've never done this before, I thought you might know..."

"Heh..." he looped his tail with hers, "Let's just do this." He smiled at her, "Is that okay, Lea?"

"Of course, you potus-berryed fool,"

They headed out to the sparring grounds, Tarsier feeling like he was a dragonet again, and Azalea like she had a newfound happiness.

 **I'm bad at romance! But BOOHOOO ITS OVERRRR!!! I really enjoyed this! Now for some background:**

I started this story as a maybe, but it grew expontentially, and with inspiration and support, it came to this point.

I was really afraid of Tarzalea, I had never written an original romance(if you can't tell XD) before. I was asking around, and it just sorta... happened. I had no plan when the story started, as most of my stories have. I LOVE foreshadowing, but if I plan a story, it isn't as fun as just writing.

I worked SO HARD on making a coverart, but that never really happened either, but one day I will. This story, (as of me writing this) gained over 20 follows, which meant a lot to me.

One of the most hindering things was the lack of reviews. The only people that reviewed was Thepicduck and sometimes other people, SOMETIMES. I'm not complaining or anything, but for future reference, if there is a book you like, review! I want constructive criticism! Anywho, that's all the tidbits of 473-5!

Goodbye all that enjoyed, followed, or supported it! I love ya!


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